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LETTERS FROM EUROPE: 



NOTES OF A TOUR 



THROUGH 



^nglanir, Jfraitte, aiii^ StoitjerlanJr, 



BY E> THOMSON, D. D., LL. D. 



WITH A PREFACE BY BISHOP MORRIS. 



EDITED BY REV. D. W. CLARK, D. D. 




Ciiuinnati: 



PUBLISHED BY L. SWORMSTEDT & A. POE, 

FOR THE METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH, AT THE WESTERN BOOK CONCERN, 
CORNER OF MAIN AND EIGHTH STREETS. 



R. P. THOMrsON, PRINTER. 

1856. 



Y^ 



6 



! 



Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1856, 

BY SWORMSTEDT & POE, 

In the Clerk's Office of the District Court for the Southern District 
of Ohio. 



xtl^tt. 



IF the volume of Dr. Thomson's Educational Es- 
says be favorably received, it is no more than it 
justly merits. But this volume Avill be much more 
popular than the former, for the reason that letters 
of travel are more in demand for general readers 
than essays, however able and elegant. These let- 
ters, reported back to his friends by Dr. Thomson, 
while on a tour in Europe to procure a University 
library, will afford great attraction for American 
readers. The fact that they were originally pre- 
pared for a weekly paper, and not designed for a 
book, is decidedly in their favor, allowing the writer 
more variety of topics, as well as more freedom of 
remark and diction about men and things in general. 
All readers acquainted with the author will give full 
credence to every assertion of fact, while his peculiar 
tact in pen-portraiture can not fail to interest all 
classes of readers. This volume will afford a rich 
mental repast. Like all the productions of its au- 
thor, it will improve the head and heart of every 



4 PREFACE. 

attentive reader, by imparting knowledge and a love 
of truth. Having read some of these letters as they 
first appeared, and knowing the capability of the 
writer, I take pleasure in commending the work to 
a reading and enlightened public. 

T. A. Morris. 
Cincinnati, March, 1856. 



Coiitnits, 



LETTER I. 

PAOE. 

Tbip to New York 9 

LETTER II.* 
PuKCHASEs — The Steamship Baltic — A Funeral — A Picnic 16 

LETTER III. 
Getting ready to sail — The Ship — Bill of Fare — Amusements — 
Sunday at Sea — Ship's Progress — Dangers — Last Day out 24 

LETTER IV. 
The Landing — Shore Sights — A Colloquy 38 

LETTER V. 

Liverpool — Railroads — Verdure — Cholera — Books 44 

LETTER VI. 
The Church — The Dissenters — The State — The Nobility 49 

LETTER VII. 
English Ladies — The Queen — The Royal Family 58 

LETTER VIII. 
House of Commons — Newspapers — Post-Office — Education — London 
Wesley AN Book Concbrn 65 

LETTER IX. 
Westminster Abbey — Sights within— Tombs without 72 

LETTER X. 
St. Paul's— Curiosities — The Great Bell — Cost of the Cathedral 78 

LETTER XI. 
The Sabbath in London— Dr. Croly's Church- City Road Chapel— 
Wksleyan Editors 86 

5 



6 CONTENTS. 

LETTER XII. 

PAOB. 

The British Museum — Sculpture Galleries — The Library 94 

LETTEE XIII. 

The Thames — Eiver Sights — The Exchange — The Bridges — The 
Parks 104 

LETTER XIV. 

Tunnel of the Thames — Manner of Building the Tunnel — Engi- 
neer Brunel and his efforts — First Opening of the Tunnel 113 

LETTER XV. 
Twickenham — Richmond — Sydenham — Crystal Palace — John Bull 
AND Jonathan 122 

LETTER XVI. 

London Tower — Historical Reminiscences- — Armor and Statuary — 
Queen Elizabeth's Armory — The Tower a History — Victims of it 131 

LETTER XVII . 

Books — The Educational Exhibition— Qualifications of Teachers. 145 

LETTER XVIII. 

Leaving London — The Necropolis — Winchester — ^Portsmouth — 
Walks about the City — Portchester Castle — A Legend 152 

LETTER XIX. 

A Conversation — English Society — Pa.tent Medicines — English 
Civility — Reserve — A Peculiarity — A Popular Preacher 164 

LETTER XX. 
Stability — Admiral Nelson — British Civil Law — De. Dodd — Legit- 
imacy 177 

LETTER XXI. 
National Slowness and Inflexibility — Cousin Jonathan 188 

LETTER XXII. 
English Prudence and Scrltulousness — Marriage in England — 
Freedom in England — Britain's Greatness — America and Ens- 
land 193 

LETTER XXIII. 
Havre AND Paris — Switzerland 202 

LETTER XXIV. 
Macon — Geneva— The Rhone — John Calvin — Rosseau and Voltaire 309 



CONTENTS. 7 

LETTER XXV. 

PAGE. 

Geneva Manufactures and Laws— A Conversation — Byron — "Ho- * 
TEL Gibbon " -216 

LETTER XXVI. 
Lausanne, Basle — Hotel Accommodations 223 

LETTER XXVII. 
Strasbourg— A Railway Ride— Royal Academy— Notre Dame— The 
Great Clock 228 

LETTER XXVIII. 
Traveling — Insurance and RjUlways — Swiss Postal Regulations — 
Bill of Fare— The Bankers 238 

LETTER XXIX. 
French Character— Suavity— Politeness and Depravity 248 

LETTER XXX. 
French Society — A Contrast 254 

LETTER XXXI. 
French Vivacity and Enthusiasm— Funerals— A Persevering Lover- 
Reverence FOR Napoleon. 258 

LETTER XXXII. 
French Taste and Fickleness— The Madeleine— Royal Changes •• -266 

LETTER XXXIII. 
French Government— The Empress— The style in which Protest- 
antism IS Tolerated— Louis Napoleon as President— The Hope 
for France 273 

LETTER XXXIV. 

Westminster Normal Institution— Details respecting Wesleyan 
Schools- Training College— Annual Examination 284 

LETTER XXXV. 
Return Voyage— Calais— Collins and Cunard Steamships— The 
Loss of the Arctic 



LETTERS FEOM EUROPE. 



You requested me to write a series of traveling letters. 
"Well, I may as well begin now. I reached New 
York city by the New York and Erie railroad. There was 
nothing noticeable on the way, except the diminished 
travel by this route from Dunkirk eastward. We had 
but two cars from Dunkirk — till we came within a short 
distance of this city — and they were more than neces- 
sary, as we only numbered about fifteen persons in each 
car. We were promised night-cars in the bill, but we 
saw nothing of them ; indeed, the whole arrangement 
was less comfortable than we are accustomed to meet 
with between Cincinnati and Cleveland. Although I 
have traveled not a little of late years, I know of no 
railroad over which I pass with so much comfort and 
sense of safety as the Little Miami and Columbus road. 
Better cars I have met with, but more accuracy in ar- 
rangement, more order in the company, more politeness 
in the conductors, I have not. Great credit, I opine, is 
due to Mr. C, the Superintendent, and to Mr. S., the 
General Ticket Agent at Cincinnati. Such men are 
of value to cities. 

GOING ABROAD. 

In preparing to travel in foreign lands, the first thing 
to be done is to obtain a passport. For this one must 



10 LETTERS PEOM EUROPE. 

apply to the Department of State at Washington City. 
If the applicant be a native, the application must be 
accompanied with proof of his nativity, and if he bo 
not, with his naturalization papers, which the Depart-' 
ment will return with the passport. It must also be 
accompanied with a description of the person; thus, for 
example, "Eyes gray, nose straight, chin round, hair 
dark, mouth large, hight five feet five inches English 
measure, and age forty-three." According to our laws,' 
if an alien be naturalized, his children, who are minors, 
though born in a foreign land, are citizens when they 
come of age. 

If an individual is going no farther than England, his 
passport may be of no consequence to him; but if he 
intends visiting the continent, he will find it indispens- 
able. I am told the authorities abroad are very partic- 
ular at present, and the war which rages in Europe now 
accounts for this. It is difficult to obtain a passport of 
our foreign embassadors, as it is not easy, when a man 
is in a foreign country, to give satisfactory evidence of 
his citizenship. 

In visiting Europe take no sealed letters; this were a 
fraud on the post-office, and might subject you to a fine — 
take no American reprints; these would probably be 
taken from you. For my own part, my passport and 
my Bible is about all I care to take. Perhaps Shak- 
speare would not come amiss occasionally, but I have no 
English copy. Moreover, I need to employ all my spare 
time in forming my English tongue to French words. 

LIBRARIES. 

My object in going abroad, as you know, is to purchase 
a, library, with the handsome donation which Mr. William 
Sturgess has made to the Ohio Wesleyan University for 
that purpose. As there are many of your readers who 



LIBRARY CLASSIFICATION. 



11 



may go on a similar errand, suffer me to note down a 
little of the results of my reflection and experience as I 
go along. 

1. The first thing to determine is the classification. 
There is a convenient one given in Brunei's Manual du 
Libraire. The Smithsonian Institute has, I learn, pub- 
lished a paper on this subject, though I have not seen it. 
We have agreed upon the following, which is more log- 
ical, though perhaps not more convenient, than any clas- 
sification we have met with : 









Civil Proper. 



Ecclesiastical. 



'Ancient History. 



Modern History. 

Chronology. 
(_ Biography. 



American. 

English. 

Foreign. 



Physics. 



' Natural Philosophy. 

Agriculture. 

Chemistry. 

Medicine. 

Geography. 
(^ Travels. 
'Anatomy and Physiology. 

Zoology. 
Natural History .{ Botany. 
Proper. Mineralogy. 

[_ Geology. 






^ 



^ 



{Moral Philosophy. 
Mental Philosophy. 
Logic and Rhetoric. 
Educational. 
Religious. 
Politics and Polit- 
ical Economy. 
Jurisprudence. 

^Arithmetic and Algebra. 
Pure. ^Geometry. 

' Mechanics. 
Astronomy. 

Technics, Architecture. 
Mixed. i Military Tactics. 

Mechanical Arts. 
(^Engineering. 



12"* LETTERS FROM EUROPE. 

f Drama, Epic. 
Poetry. i Miscellaneous. 

•' (^ Fiction. 

f Lexicons. 
Grammars. 
Classical Texts. 
Philology. 



w 








;-> 




^. 




0) 

CI 


a 


s 


'o 












l^ 




Q 




1. 




^ 



(Dictionaries and Encyclope- 
dias. 
Periodicals. 



Miscellaneous. Polygraphic. 

2. The next thing, if your sum is limited, is to fix 
upon the amount you will spend in each department. 
Of course, the figures you make are only approximations. 
Much must be left to the discretion of the purchaser; 
but a guide is important to him, more especially if men 
of difi'erent tastes — as with every faculty — are to be sat- 
isfied. It may be interesting to the public, as well as to 
the generous donor, to know that we have assigned the 
largest amount to the "Religious." 

3. The third thing is to determine upon the object — 
whether it be special or general. In buying for a col- 
lege, we should aim to procure rare and valuable works, 
rather than current literature. The latter can be pur- 
chased at any time; the former only to advantage in 
foreign markets. The use of a college library is differ- 
ent from the use of a family library. Gibbon's Rome, 
for example, is a useful book, and should be in the fam- 
ily library. It is not important that it should be in a 
public or college library. Turner's Anglo-Saxons may be 
less read, less useful in general ; but it is more important 
for a public library. If one goes to the library for Gib- 
bon, he is disappointed if he do not find it ; but the dis- 
appointment is not a serious one ; for he may find the 



PRECAUTIONS, 13 

book, perhaps, in the first respectable house he enters. 
If, however, he go there for Turner's Anglo-Saxons, and 
do not find it, the disappointment is a severe one ; for he 
may search a county, and not obtain it. 

4. It is important, and may preserve us from imposi- 
tion, to get the best works on Bibliography, before 
making purchases, to secure letters to librarians and pro- 
fessors in the difi"erent cities, and to make connections 
with reliable booksellers in each place. Any one going 
on an errand such as mine, will find it to his advantage 

to consult with Professor Jewitt, of the Smithsonian t? 
Institute, and Dr. Cogswell, of the Astor Library. 

5. In the next place, it is well before starting to make 
out as perfect a classified list as possible; and for the 
convenience of purchasing, to have a separate list ar- 
ranged according to the markets. As a general thing, 
books are cheapest in the countries where they were first 
published. But old books — unless in English — are gen- 
erally found, I am told, in greater numbers, and at lower 
prices, in Paris than in any other market. 

No book that has been republished on this side of the 
water should be purchased on the other. I have, there- 
fore, procured a Trade Sale Catalogue, from which I can 
ascertain what works I need not import. This I take 
with me. Mr. Henry Stevens, of London, the Agent — I 
believe— of the Smithsonian Institute, has lately pub- 
lished a little book containing a well-selected catalogue 
of English books, which I would advise any of my 
friends who desire to purchase a good English library, to 
obtain. 

ASTOR LIBRARY. 

The Astor Library was founded by John Jacob Astor, 
of New York city, who bequeathed for its establishment 
and maintenance four hundred thousand dollars, in four 
annual installments, dating from his death, in 1848. 



14 LETTERS FROM EUROPE. 

His will committed the management of the funds, and 
of the library, to ten individual trustees — among whom 
were Washington Irving, Fitz Green Halleck, and Joseph 
G. Cogswell. In 1849 the Trustees obtained from the 
Legislature an Act of Incorporation, and soon after were 
organized by electing Washington Irving President, and 
S. B. Ruggles Secretary. Mr. Cogswell was from the 
first designated as Superintendent of the Library. Of 
the sum bequeathed, $75,000 was to be devoted to the 
library building, $120,000 to the purchase of books, and 
the residue — $205,000 — after paying for the site of the 
building— $25,000— namely, $180,000, as a fund for 
maintaining and gradually increasing the Library, and 
to defray the necessary expenses of taking care of the 
same, and of the accommodation of persons consulting 
it. The site selected is on Lafayette Place. The 
amount paid for the building does not include the ex- 
pense of equipping it. The shelves alone cost $11,000; 
their running length is nearly thirteen thousand feet. 
Nearly all the $120,000 has been expended, and the 
Library now has over eighty thousand books upon its 
shelves. 

The Library is a brick building, of Byzantine archi- 
tecture, reposing on a lower story of brown stone, and 
ornamented with arched doors and windows, stone mold- 
ings and mullions, projecting cornice, corbals, and entab- 
lature. The main entrance is by a flight of thirty-six 
marble steps, leading to the second story, which is the 
main floor of the Library proper. This is one hundred 
feet long, sixty-four wide, fifty high ; lighted by ten win- 
dows in front, eight in rear, and a broad sky-light above, 
extending two-thirds the length of the room. From the 
side walls to the columns which support the roof, a series 
of alcoves, open in front and rear, fills up the space on 
each side, leaving corridors two and a half feet wide 



COGSWELL AND STURGESS. 15 

along the walls. Each alcove has a light gallery eleven 
feet above the floor, and these galleries in front of the 
wall shelves aff"ord a continued corridor from end to end. 

The open area in the center is surrounded by a light 
iron railing. The Library is accessible to all, but the 
books are not removable. 

Dr. Cogswell, the Librarian, has been very kind to me, 
and has favored me with letters to several booksellers in 
the old world. 

I can not close this letter without renewing my ac- 
knowledgments to Mr. Sturgess, for whom I trust the 
prayers of the Church will not cease to be offered. His 
liberality and catholicity will speak powerfully to pos- 
terity. 

The brethren of the Book Concern are well, and have 
laid me under obligations by their attentions. 



16 LETTERS FROM EUROPE. 



I HAVE made some good purchases in New York. In 
buying libraries in Europe, Dr. Cogswell necessarily 
bought duplicates of many books. I was fortunate 
enough to obtain, at the Astor Library, some of them, 
and at rates far below what they could be purchased for 
in Europe. Among the books thus obtained are the fol- 
lowing : 

Cauchy Exercises de Mathematiques. 

D'Alembert Opuscules Mathematiques. 

D'Alembert Systeme du Monde. 

D'Alembert Traite' d' Equilibre et du Mouvement des 
Fluides. 

D'Alembert Reflexions sur la cause des vents. 

D'Alembert Recherches sur la precession des Equi- 
nosces. 

Bailly Histoire d' Astronomic Moderne. 

Pontecoulant Systeme du Monde. 

Freytag's Arabic Lexicon. 

La Croix Traite d' Cakul. Differential. 

Individuals residing in cities have great advantages for 
the purchase of books. By watching book-stalls and 
auctions, old and valuable books may sometimes be pur- 
chased for a song. Dr. Cogswell sent a duplicate copy of 
an arithmetic which was published before the Reforma- 
tion, to an auction in this city, where it was sold for six 
cents. He has since been offered one hundred francs, by 
a bookseller of Paris, for the other copy. Such works as 



D R . F S T E R . 17 

this, however, are prized not according to their intrinsic 
value, but their scarcity. I have succeeded in ascertain- 
ing the lowest cash price of this market for all the works 
I want; this will prevent me from buying any work 
abroad that I can obtain at the same price at home. 
Books of current literature, like every thing else, are 
growing dearer. 

Pardon me for saying so much about books. You know 
how natural it is for us to suppose that what is of interest 
to us, is likewise interesting to every body else in the 
world. 

On the morning of last Sabbath I had the privilege of 
preaching in the Pacific-Street Church, Brooklyn. Dr. 
Foster, the pastor, was detained from church by the 
affliction of his family. In the afternoon I heard a neat, 
evangelical, impressive discourse on salvation by faith, 
from Rev. Dr. W., in South Second-Street Church, Wil- 
liamsburg, of which our worthy brother Miley, late of 
the Ohio conference, is pastor. In the evening I at- 
tended the Pacific-Street Church, Brooklyn, where I ex- 
pected to preach at that time, but Providence sent Dr. T., 
a professor of the Wesleyan University, to my relief. 
He preached on the gain of godliness a well-composed, 
well-argued, but exquisitely-speculative discourse. Its 
speculations were, however, with one exception, strictly 
within the limits of Wesleyan orthodoxy, so at least 
thought I. 

On Tuesday morning the youngest child of our friend 
Foster deceased; it was a babe, only two weeks old. 
Mark, I do not say only a babe, for the life of a rational 
immortal spirit opens many "seals,'' and its death opens 
the gates of heaven. 

The cholera seems to be increasing in this city, but I 
trust we have passed the crisis of the season, and shall 
soon pass the crisis of the sickness. 

2 



18 LETTERS EROM EUROPE. 

UNEXPECTED HOSPITALITY. 

On Monday evening, a gentleman residing on Clinton- 
street, Brooklyn, who is connected with the Pacific-Street 
Church, called upon me and literally captured me, trans- 
ferring me and my baggage, by carriage and steamboat, 
to his beautiful home, there to spend my time during the 
residue of my sojourn in this city. My reception at his 
hearth was as cordial as his own greeting. Such kind- 
ness is an oasis in the desert of life. Hospitality and 
attention may be expected from relatives and acquaint- 
ances, and especially when we are abroad on a public mis- 
sion in which they, as well as we, are interested; but 
when it comes from entire strangers, and unanticipated, 
it is noteworthy, and seems to indicate a religious spirit 
ingrafted upon a stock of native liberality — it is worthy 
to entertain angels. My host was once a Methodist 
preacher, but his health failing he was compelled to enter 
upon business, which God seems to have prospered. His 
prosperity, instead of injuring, appears to have blessed 
his family, all of whom, save one, are connected with the 
Church. May God convert that one ! My friend's moth- • 
er — a guest of his family — is a widow, who mingles with 
profound grief profound resignation, and finds increasing 
support with increasing dependence. His daughter is a 
sweet little girl, whose charming voice floats over the me- 
lodeon's ''sea of solemn tones" at the hour of evening 
prayer. The garden of mine host blooms with perpetual 
roses, ingrafted on native sweet-briers, and it is vocal with 
the notes of the canary and the linnet, the sky-lark and 
the mourning dove. Come, north wind, and come thou 
south, ever blow upon this garden, that the spices thereof 

may flow out. 

THE BALTIC. 

This is one of the best steamships of the Collins line. 
She is to sail July 22d, and I have secured a passage in 



AN infant's burial. 19 

her, the price of which is a hundred and thirty dollars. 
Had I got off earlier I should have preferred a sail ves- 
sel, as being more comfortable, and equally safe, perhaps 
more so. For the benefit of those of my friends in the 
west who intend to visit Europe, allow me to say, that ap- 
plication for a passage in a steamer should be secured 
weeks beforehand. Although I applied about a week be- 
fore the day of sailing, I was under the necessity of 
taking a berth in the forward saloon, which is not quite 
so comfortable as the other, more especially if the passage 
be a rough one. 

THE FUNERAL. 

One afternoon, during my stay in Brooklyn, I received 
an invitation to attend the funeral of our friend Foster's 
child. The corpse lay in a beautiful coffin, which was 
placed on a marble table crowned with roses. A few 
friends had collected, without special invitation, to sym- 
pathize with the family. Cicero says, that since life, like 
the fruits of the earth, must be gathered, there is some- 
thing beautiful in the death of an old and good man, who 
is gathered to his fathers like as a shock of corn, fully 
ripe, in its season. I have thought there was something 
beautiful also in the death of an infant, which is plucked 
like a bud before it is faded or worm-eaten, and before 
its fragrance is wasted, to adorn and perfume the bosom 
of its owner. To those, however, who are connected 
with the dying by ties of consanguinity and affection, 
death is always mournful. Thanks be to the Gospel, 
which moderates our grief and sanctifies our sorrows ! 
The heathen mother, when her child dies, tears her hair, 
and rends the heavens with her lamentations, realizing 
that terrible description of Rachel wailing and refusing 
to be comforted, because her children are not. The 
Gospel tells us the child sleepeth, and shall wake again in 



20 LETTERS FROM EUROPE, 

the resurrection at the last day. If mother and child 
were traveling the same route, though in diflFerent vehi- 
cles, the former would not be distressed if the latter, by 
a more speedy transit, reached the place of destination 
first. She would be comforted with the reflection that 
she would soon overtake it. More particularly would she 
check the rising sigh, if she knew that the child would be 
in good hands. I was greatly pleased with a little incident 
that a mother gave me the other day. A child lay dying. 
Feeling unusual sensations, she says, "Mamma, what is 
the matter with me?" 

Mother. "My child, you are dying." 

Child. "Well, mamma, what is dying?" 

Mother. ''To you, dear child, it is going to heaven," 

Child. "Where is heaven ?" 

Mother. "It is where God is, and Christ, and the 
Holy Grhost, and the angels, and the good men made 
perfect." 

Child. "But, mamma, I am not acquainted with any 
one of those, and I do not like to go alone; won't you go 
with me?" 

Mother. "0, Mary, I can not, God has called you only, 
not me, now." 

Turning to the father she asked the same question. 
Then piteously appealing to each of her brothers and sis- 
ters, she repeated the same interrogatory, and received 
the same response. She then fell into a gentle slumber, 
from which she awoke in a transport of joy, saying, 
"You need not go to heaven with me, I can go alone. I 
have been there, and grandmamma is there, and grand- 
papa is there, and aunt Martha;" and with a sweet smile, 
and a countenance bright as with the glory of opening 
heaven, looking upward and whispering, "Yes, I am 
coming," she passed away. 

A mother, however, would not have her child pass 



GREENWOOD CEMETERY. 21 

away, even into heaven. She would not have the new 
fountain of aflfection opened in her heart sealed up, nor 
need she. I like the philosophy of the father who count- 
ed his graves in numbering his family — so many on earth, 
so many in heaven; and they in heaven may think of us, 
and love us. That was a pretty illustration which father 
Collins was accustomed to relate. A sea captain departed 
on a long voyage shortly after his wife gave birth to a 
son. As the son grew up he learned that he had a 
father; he saw his portrait, he heard his character de- 
scribed, he grew familiar with it, he felt aflfection spring- 
ing up in his heart for his absent parent; he traced him 
from port to port, and watched and longed for his return. 
When his father's vessel came into port he was the first 
to board her, and stepping up to the captain he seizes 
him by the hand, and says, "I am your son; come with 
me, and I will show you where mother is." May not 
such scenes occur in the harbor of heaven? 

Greenwood is the most beautiful cemetery in this re- 
gion. Lovely by natui'e, it has been greatly improved by 
art. We met several funeral processions on our way out 
and back. There are now about thirty interments a day 
in these grounds alone. As a funeral procession enters 
the gate, the bell tolls ten times. It is supposed that if 
it tolled ten minutes for every death that occurs in the 
city, it would not cease during the twenty-four hours. 
At this time it could not, I suppose, within the day, 
strike more than seven times for each death. The wicked 
and the good alike desire to render the place of the de- 
parted beautiful, and thus to diminish the natural dread 
of the grave. Hence, where wealth and taste are found, 
the cemetery is always a beautiful spot. Here we have 
monuments of all forms and styles. Many of them are 
doubtless the result of a misguided judgment and morbid 
afifection. 



22 LETTERS FROM EUROPE. 

THE PICNIC. 

In the midst of death we are in life. On the day after 
the funeral, the Sabbath school of the Pacific-Street 
Church had its annual picnic. They proceeded by boat 
to Fort Hamilton. There, in a grove, were a few seats 
arranged as on a camp-ground, near by were a few barrels 
of water, and some temporary tables. All around were 
the children, some on swings, some on see-saws, some re- 
posing after exhaustion, some catching girls, others catch- 
ing lizards, some gathering flowers, others gathering 
kisses, some looking on, and others collecting around a 
brass band employed to play "Katy Darling," etc. It 
was a scene of enjoyment, marred only by a little rivalry 
among the boys, which, on one occasion, led to a show of 
fight — that was, however, soon dissipated — and an acci- 
dent or two of no serious consequence. I arrived on the 
ground after dinner, and left before tea, and thei*efore 
just saw what a New York picnic is. Besides all that I 
have told you, it was to me lemonade, mulberry pie, 
bread and butter, etc., all with a good relish, and a pleas- 
ant conversation. This affair cost from $150 to $200. 
The political economist might find fault with it, but I am 
inclined to think it may be a remunerative expenditure. 
Such occasions bring old and young, grave and gay, to- 
gether, and very frequently promote health, harmony, and 
happiness. They should, however, be under discreet 
management, and there should be put upon the bill of fare 
a suitable intellectual dish, and an invocation of the Divine 
blessing. I do not intimate that these things were want- 
ing on this occasion ; I was present only part of the time. 

The Church here — I mean our Church — is in stahi quo. 
There is here, as every-where, a great want of zeal, a 
consciousness of power, with an impression that it is not 
properly developed and applied — a conviction that a 



SIGNSOFTHETIMES. 28 

change is coming over us, and an inquiry, What is to be? 
There is a growing tendency to Congregationalism, seen 
in the pewing of churches, the preliminary arrangements 
of appointments between pastors and people, the call on 
the part of both for an extension of the term of the 
preacher's service, etc. From many hearts goes up the 
prayer, *' Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?" Many, 
too, are praying that God would send forth laborers into 
his immense harvest that is already ripe. The missionary 
work demands an increase of laborers. Where are the 
moral heroes among us ? 



24 LETTERS FROM EUROPE. 



ITrHEN I agreed to -write you a few letters, I determ- 
''^ ined to pen the little things, for the great ones have 
often been written. Among the small things comes the 
money. The Englishman says, "With a pound in my 
mouth I can go where I please;" but it is not always safe 
to carry the pound in the mouth. The most convenient 
mode of carrying money for traveling, is the following: 
Deposit in the hands of a friend, in whom you may con- 
fide, the sum you wish to expend, and get him to procure 
you a letter of credit from some banker who has corre- 
spondence in Europe. It may be in such a form as this : 

ITew York, July, 1854. 
Messrs. A. ^ B., London — Dear Sirs, — We hereby open a credit 
on account of C. D., Esq., for £1,000, say a thousand pounds ster- 
ling, to be used by him for traveling expenses, and for your reim- 
bursement vre -^ill dravr on E. <fc T., of this city, charging your 
usual commission of one per cent. This credit to expire December 
1, 1854. G. H. & Co. 

To this your signature is annexed, so that in case it 
should be lost, the person finding it could not obtain the 
money without counterfeiting your name. In this way 
your money brings you interest till you use it. It is 
transmitted safely, and may be drawn as you need it, and 
when you need it. 

These steamers of the ocean, unlike those of our west- 
ern waters, sail precisely at the appointed moment — 
twelve o'clock is their hour. I left my lodgings at ten, 



N s n I P - B O A R D . 25 

and found myself none too early. Your baggage should 
be checked as soon as it is placed on the pier; if not, it 
may be missing, or it may subject you to the necessity of 
turning over two or three hundred trunks in the hold to 
find it. 

On entering the vessel I found the decks and cabins 
crowded. Many had come on board to take leave of their 
friends. All seemed "merry as a marriage bell," till the 
gruff seamen cried out "All ashore." Then came the 
shaking of hands, and embracing, and kissing, and part- 
ing, and weeping. Many were so reluctant to leave their 
friends to the billows, that they tarried to the last mo- 
ment, and one escaped to the pier only as by '-'the skin 
of his teeth." I had parted with my friends in Ohio, 
where neither they nor I could realize what it is to be 
separated by the waves. There is something not so pleas- 
ant in entering upon a voyage. They who are used to it 
say they dread it as a penalty, while those who are not, 
after the novelty of sailing has passed away, generally 
wish themselves ashore. The perils of the deep, the mal 
de mer, the thoughts of dying on the vessel, where no 
friends can soothe our dying agonies, or receive our last 
embraces, the idea of one's corpse plunging, bound up in 
sail cloth, with a stone tied to its heels, into the yielding 
sea, where no monument can mark or tears bedew the 
place of its rest, is by no means pleasant. Another 
thought crosses the mind, how will fare the loved ones at 
home as we walk over the water, where no mail can brino' 
us news, or telegraph convey our inquiries? Or, if we 
return, shall we see them all on earth, or find one in a 
new-made grave? But we must banish these thoughts; 
God is gracious, and his providence is over us for good. 

The last three days that we spent in Xew York were 
oppressively hot, and now, as we move off and catch the 
sea-breeze, we experience great relief. The motion of 



26 LETTERS FROM EUROPE. 

the vessel, the salutes received and returned as we pass 
out of port, the beautiful islands which reveal themselves 
in all the charms of nature and art to our gazing eyes, 
compose our minds by changing the channel of our 
thoughts. Soon we pass Sandy Hook; the pilot leaves 
us, and we are fairly at sea. 

With every thing to favor us, we nevertheless experi- 
enced some distress. The smell of the engine, the heat 
of the fires, the motion of the boat, as she majestically 
moves over the gentle swells of the sea, cause many to 
suffer. There are some lying pale in the cabin, others 
leaning over the bulwarks, and others in their berths call- 
ing for basins. Still, the greater number appear easy. 

And now the last hill-tops disappear; my country ia 
out of sight. glorious land, I love thee! I may see 
lands superior in cultivation, in historic interest, in artis- 
tic ornaments and literary advantages; but where shall I 
see a land of nobler mountains, of longer rivers, of purer 
air, of more glorious sunsets, of richer soil, of more 
genial climate, of greater progress, of freer institutions ? 
I may see men of prouder name, of riper learning, of 
richer eloquence; but never shall I meet with a people of 
nobler impulses, of stronger sense, or of greater enter- 
prise. 

OUR SHIP 

is a noble vessel ! — in length two hundred and eighty-two 
feet, six inches; breadth, forty-five feet; depth, twenty- 
two feet, six inches ; measure, two thousand, seven hun- 
dred and twenty-three tuns. She is now on her forty- 
ninth passage. Her last was the shortest across the 
Atlantic ever known — probably since the days of Adam — 
certainly since the days of Columbus. It was performed 
in nine days, sixteen hours, and fifty-three minutes; but 
a few minutes less, however, than the period in which the 
Arabia once made the passage. 



CREW AND PASSENGERS. 27 

Our crew consists of one hundred and forty-five men, 
classified as follows; namely, engineer department, fifty- 
six; steward's department, fifty; sailing department, 
thirty-eight. The last may be classified as follows : Cap- 
tain, one; watch ofiicers, four; purser, one; doctor, one; 
mate, one; quarter-masters, four; boatswain, one; car- 
penter, one; seamen, twenty-two; boys, two. 

The vessel, with her equipage, cost about six hundred 
thousand dollars. Her expenses, per passage, are about 
seventy thousand dollars. Government allows her thirty- 
three thousand dollars per voyage for carrying the mails; 
that is, fifteen thousand, five hundred dollars per passage. 
Till lately the line — Collins — did not pay expenses. I am 
happy to say it now does. We have on board but little 
freight — dead weight — say two hundred tuns — chiefly 
pork and cheese. 

Our passengers are one hundred and eighty-two, and 
represent nearly all the civilized nations of the earth. 
It is said that there are ten different languages spoken 
among us. Here is the Pole, alternately cursing and la- 
menting his country; here are Hungarians, who have been 
to see America; here is a Brazilian major; here are 
Frenchmen, Irishmen, and Spaniards — no less than 
eighteen — and Scotchmen, and Englishmen, and "Welsh- 
men ; Jews, Christians, unbelievers, Protestants, Catho- 
lics, Episcopalians, Methodists, Presbyterians, old and 
young, male and female, wise and simple, grave and gay. 
Four or five of our passengers seem to have passed their 
threescore and ten, and more than that number are in- 
fants in arms. Various are our objects — merchants in 
pursuit of money, professional men in pursuit of pleasure, 
valetudinarians in pursuit of health, perhaps, too, maid- 
ens in pursuit of husbands, and beaux in pursuit of 
belles. Of our American company the greater part, I 
think, is from the south. Among the number are eleven 



28 LETTERS FROM EUROPE. 

persons who were saved from the wreck of the Trade 
Wind. 

On the night of the 2Sth of June, yon recollect, the 
Olympus, from Liverpool, bound for Boston, came in col- 
lision with the Trade Wind, from Mobile, bound for Liver- 
pool. The consequence was, that both vessels sank. 
The Trade Wind contained about forty souls, of whom 
eighteen were lost; the Olympus not far from the same 
number, sis of whom were lost. When the captain of 
the Trade Wind — Smith — found that his vessel must 
sink, he brought up the passengers from the cabin — where 
the water was already knee-deep — by means of a ladder, 
lowered through the skylight, and placed them, with his 
wife and two children, in the long-boat — the only one 
left — one boat having been crushed by the fall of the 
mast, another lost in the launch by the indiscretion and 
fright of some of the crew, and the third generously lent 
to the captain of the Olympus. In this boat a few 
sailors rowed the passengers away from the sinking ship, 
with a small quantity of provision and a little water — the 
sea and the winds roaring, and the prospect fair for death, 
either by starvation or drowning. In the boat were nine 
small children. The captain, as soon as they were safely 
oflP, said to the remainder — the crew — "Now, boys, save 
yourselves as best you can." Soon the ship went down, 
as in a whirlpool, carrying all hands with it — eighteen 
saw the light of day no more ; the rest rose upon float- 
ing planks. These fortunate ones made rafts, binding the 
loose plajnks together by means of their clothing. The 
cousin of the captain was one of the crew. He had a 
friend who could not swim, and who said to him, "David, 
never leave me." The generous tar responded, "Never." 
In a vain effort to save his friend, he sank down with the 
descending vessel. For a moment he was insensible; 
another moment, and looking up he saw the daylight and 



BILLOFFARE. 29 

heard the captain calling to him. "With a desperate 
effort he swam to the raft. 

As the captain's wife sits in the long-boat, she is the 
image of despair; her eyes are away from the wreck, but 
her heart is there, and nothing escapes her lips but the 
words, " My j^oor husband !" uttered in heart-breaking 
tones. A little boy, looking over her shoulders, strains 
his eye over the advancing white-caps, and at length 
shouts out, as he catches a glimpse of the raft, "The 
captain is coming!" His wife, as if conscious that she 
could not bear the news, cries out, "Don't you tell me; 
don't you tell me." After six hours the passengers who 
were in the boat were picked up by a Dutch vessel, and 
in about four hours after, the surviving sailors on the 
raft, but in a state of great exhaustion from exertion, 
want of food, and anxiety. Most of them were severely 
blistered from the exposure of their unclothed bodies so 
long to the sun. They were carried to Newport, and 
here are eleven of those passengers around us, some of 
them little children like my own, clinging to my knees 
or leaping into my arms. 

FARE. 

One of the first things that attracted my attention after 

coming on board, was a bulletin, from which the following 

is an extract : 

Breakfast from 8 to 10 o'clock, A. M. 

Luncheon from 12 to 1 " P. M. 

Dinner from 4 to 6 " P.M. 

Tea from 8 to 9 " P.M. 

Supper from 10 to 11 " P.M. 

The following is an average bill of fare : 

Ne-w York and Liverpool United States Mail Steamship Baltic, 
July 25, 1851. 

Soups. — Oyster and Julienne. 

Boiled. — Beef, Ham, Tongue, Chickens, and Oyster Sauces, 
Ste-V7ed Veal, with Peas, Stewed brisket of Beef, Veal and Ham pies. 



so LETTERS FROM EUROPE. 

Fish. — Balced Halibut and Lobster Sauce. 

Roast. — Beef, Lamb, Goose, Turkey, Ducks, with Onions, Mutton, 
with Baked Potatoes, Chickens, Sausages, Pigeon Pie. 

ENTREES. 

Fried Oysters, Stewed Steaks, Jardinien Sauce, Maccaroni, with 
Cheese. 

Vegetables. — Assorted. 

Salads. — Tomatoes, Radishes, Cucumbers. 

Game . — ^V ar iou s . 

Pastry. — Huckleberry Pudding, Cranberry Pie, Calledge Pud- 
ding, Apple Pie, Squash Pie, and Tarts. 

DESSERT. 

Fruits, Kuts, Olives, Cakes, etc.. Coffee, Vanilla Ice Cream. 

The liquors are extra. Our Hungarians carry their own 
wines with them; so do the Austrians and some of the 
Americans. The Scotch are accommodated with Edin- 
burgh ale; the French with Cogniac and Burgundy; but 
the rest of us put up with American liquors. You per- 
ceive that with us eating is an important operation. I 
was reminded of a certain picture, representing a boy, on 
board a steamboat, ringing a bell and crying, ''All those 
passengers that have done their breakfast will please 
walk down to dinner I" and which I once supposed to 
be a caricature. But to many of the passengers this is 
all "form without the power'' — seasickness having come 
upon them as a merciful dispensation of Providence. 
Indeed, to many there seemed to be a great falling off 
of appetite after the first dinner, on which occasion we 
all put our "best foot foremost." 

There are some old travelers who can do full justice 
to the table on all occasions. One of these sits near me. 
He is a man well constructed for digestive purposes, and 
has an imposing appearance from the shoulders down- 
ward. He has crossed the Atlantic many times. He 
receives great attention from the stewards, which he 
attributes to the free use of "jyalm oil." He generally 



EXTRA DISHES. 31 

partakes of every dish; sometimes, however, going out 
to take a rest and a smoke, and returning to renew the 
engagement, which, with most of us, is protracted to two 
hours. Not content with the dishes that are supplied? 
he usually makes an extra of his own, as follows : 

Take — in a vegetable dish — cold potatoes, pickled on- 
ions, and raw cucumbers, cut into thin slices. 

Next take — in a dinner-plate — two eggs, boiled hard, 
and cut very fine ; then pour upon them half a mustard- 
pot, one-third of a pepper-box, three-fourths of a vinegar 
cruet; rub them carefully together; then pour over the 
mixture one bottle and a half of Florence oil, and mingle 
the dishes together with a knife. 

This is no exaggeration. The gentleman is very 
clever, in the Yankee sense of the word, and often presses 
me to take some of his extra dish, which, however, I 
generously decline, thinking that if I have grace to bear 
the sight, I ought not to tempt Providence any further. 
But how can our friend endure all this ? He generally 
orders, at the outset, a bottle of Champagne; next a 
bottle of brandy. After having consumed the former, 
and well drunk of the latter, he sends the brandy-bottle 
to some friend, with his compliments, who returns it 
with reciprocation of compliments and a bottle of wine 
from his private stock. 

I have wondered, in pondering the pages of Milton or of 
"Webster, at the powers of the human mind ; I have equal 
reason to be amazed at the powers of the human stomach. 

AMUSEMENTS. 

In the main cabin is a piano, on which, in the even- 
ing, when the sea is not rough, two ladies play very 
skillfully. One of them is an American, who has lost 
nearly all her relatives. Iler father died in France, her 
mother in England, and a brother, a short time since, in 



32 LETTERS TROM EUROPE. 

her own arms. Yet I fear these providences have not 
had the salutary influence which they were intended to 
produce. She is an accomplished lady, and seems still 
to look for happiness in the world. The other is a bride. 
Matrimonial voyages are becoming fashionable. 0, fash- 
ion, wbat a hard master thou art! Any thing but a 
voyage for pleasure! If we wish the most nauseous 
associations connected with honey-moon, then let brides 
go a-voyaging. We have no less than three brides in 
our company, and after the second day they have gen- 
erally been unable to come to the table, or even to the 
saloon. Poor creatures ! how they suffer for fashion ! 

The amusements in the dining-saloon are less agreea- 
ble — playing cards, chess, checkers, etc.; sometimes gam- 
bling. Parents and children, ladies and gentlemen, old 
men palsied with age, and striplings without beard, are 
alike engaged; drinking, as a matter of course. Here 
is a perfect vanity fair, with an English row, a Prench 
row, a Spanish row, a Dutch row, an American row. I 
believe the last are the most decent, so far as drinking 
is concerned, and the first the least so. On the hurri- 
cane deck the chief amusements are promenading, looking 
for sights, and betting on the progress of the vessel. 

The most interesting objects we beheld were an im- 
mense iceberg, a whale, and sundry vessels — one near 
enough to exchange salutations. 

SABBATH AT SEA. 

Our first Lord's day dawns upon us beautifully. Break- 
fast is over, and I have taken my walk on the quarter- 
deck. Plaving seen no signs of preparation for wor- 
ship, I have made up my mind to spend the day in my 
state-room. Presently the bell rings in the manner of a 
Church call. Never did bell-notes fall upon my ear so 
pleasantly. I hasten to the dining-saloon, and find 



SABBATH SERVICE. 33 

Bibles and prayer-books distributed. A. gentleman comes 
foi-ward to lead tbe service. He is a well-dressed, ven- 
erable man, his hair and whiskers whitened with age, his 
aspect and mien agreeable, his voice clear, his accentuation 
correct, and his enunciation distinct. He reads the service 
with solemnity, and is assisted by another gentleman of 
respectable, but less imposing appearance. I respond 
heartily, and enjoy the hour much. After service, on 
inquiring the name of the gentleman to whom we were 
indebted for the lead of our devotions, I found that it 
was associated in my mind with much of the recent 
political history of the country, and particularly with 
three or four duels. I hoped, however, that our chaplain, 
like Saul of Tarsus, had repented; but when, during the 
week, I found him card-playing, wine-drinking, betting, 
etc., I had my doubts. He is, however, an affable, well- 
informed, gifted man, and I was sorry that his experi- 
ence — particularly in his lower extremities — had not been 
more profitable to him. On the subsequent Sabbath he 
declined to ofiiciatc as chaplain, and this struck me as a 
favorable sign. His substitute was a venerable gentle- 
man from Philadelphia, whose deportment was somewhat 
more becoming, and who read the service tolerably well- 
Had I made myself known, perhaps I might have 
preached, but I can not be obtrusive; moreover, I had 
reason to fear that my services would not be desired. 
The steam-ships seem to run in "the regular succession;" 
and, indeed, allow only about time enough between meals 
for the Church service. 

THE PROGRESS OF THE SHIP. 

The following figures may give you an idea of our path 
and progress : 

July 23(Z.— Latitude 42° 42'; longitude 68° 30'; dis- 
tance run, 270 miles. 



34 LETTERS FROM EUROPE. 

Juhj 24<7i.— Latitude 41° 57'; longitude 62° 40'; dis- 
tance run, 275 miles. 

July 2bth. — Latitude 44°; longitude 56° 40'; distance 
run, 285 miles. 

July 26;A.— Latitude 46° 56'; longitude 51° 10'; dis- 
tance run, 295 miles. 

July 27^7i.— Latitude 49° 9'; longitude 44° 50'; dis- 
tance run, 297 miles. 

July 28<7i.— Latitude 50° 30'; longitude 37°; distance 
run, 285 miles. 

July 29 <A.— Latitude 51° 20'; longitude 30° 10'; dis- 
tance run, 290 miles. 

July 30;7i.— Latitude 51° 20'; longitude 22°; distance 
run, 306 miles. 

July Zlst. — Latitude 51° 25'; longitude 14°; distance 
run, 312 miles. 

August 1st. — Distance run, 311 miles. 

You perceive that our speed increases as we advance. 
This is owing to the diminished weight of our coal. We 
consume about ninety-five tuns a day. The speed is 
generally greater from Liverpool to New York than from 
New York to Liverpool — owing to the superiority of 
English coal. 

DANGERS. 

Steam-ships are pretty secure. Great precautions are 
taken against fire. There is little or no danger from 
explosion, as steam can be used faster than it can be 
made. There is, however, some danger of damage to the 
machinery. The Atlantic, you remember, broke her 
shaft, and came near being lost. The chief dangers are 
from storms and icebergs. In a severe gale the water 
may rush in and put out the fires. It is supposed the 
President was thus rendered unmanageable. The "City 
of Glasgow" was, probably, entangled in the ice and 
crushed. The Baltic — as Captain C. supposes — was in 



ICE FIELDS. 35 

the same ice about the time the Glasgow must have been 
lost — in March last. 

On that occasion the passengers, not aware of their 
danger, were accustomed to come on deck, and wonder 
and admire — pointing out here a mountain and there a 
valley. A man was kept constantly at the mast-head 
to look for openings. Sometimes he would cry out, 
''North!" sometimes ''South," etc., and the ship was 
moved backward, forward, sideways, according to his 
directions. Sometimes, after moving a little forward, 
they were compelled to move backward. At length they 
worked out. No sooner had the man at the mast-head 
cried out, "All clear ahead!" than the barometer indi- 
cated a sudden storm. Had it approached a few minutes 
before they must have been sunk. The "City of Glas- 
gow" was, in all likelihood, working herself out of that 
ice, in the opposite direction, when the gale commenced. 

Captain Comstock tells me that he observes the ther- 
mometer every hour, after approaching the Banks of New 
Foundland, till he gets beyond danger of ice. On all 
occasions thermometrical and barometrical observations 
are regularly and frequently taken. 

THE LAST DAY OUT. 

At mid-watch, on Tuesday morning, Cape Clear light- 
house was seen. Many of the passengers did not go to 
rest till they saw it. Next day was bright and beauti- 
ful — the first fair day we had seen in a long time. The 
Americans had been intimating that there was no fair 
weather in the British isles, and that we must return to 
America to see the sun. The British now remind them 
of their murmuring, and call their attention to the sky. 
The whole company spent the day on deck, observing 
with delight — sometimes with rapture — the rock-bound 
coast, first of Ireland then of Wales. Now we look 



36 LETTERS FROM EUROPE. 

through the glass at Cork harbor, and then at Youghal, and 
next at Dungarvon, and next at Waterford. Here our at- 
tention is drawn to a mansion, there to a hill-top, now to 
fishing-boats, with their colored sails, and now to steam- 
boats with tall chimneys. In due time we pass Carnsore 
Point and Wexford Haven. Hollyhead attracts all eyes. 

Preparations ior going ashore are made; the sailors are 
scrubbing the bulwarks, and washing the decks ; cards 
are put up, calling upon gentlemen to pay their wine- 
bills, which I find average about twenty-five dollars a 
piece. Collections are taken up to reward a certain offi- 
cer, who has been particularly attentive, whose functions 
I will not mention. The captain makes a dinner-party, 
commencing with turtle-soup, and ending with abundance 
of Champagne, which in theory the captain pays for, but 
in reality — as I siTppose — the boat. And now the health 
of the captain is drank; and now that of the Queen. I 
sat too far off, however, to hear either the toasts or the 
speeches, and was obliged to content myself with the 
hurrahs. 

Soon after tea the pilot comes on board. Now what a 
rush toward him, as though the crowd were about to bear 
him off! What does it mean ? Why, we have been about 
ten days without news, and we want to hear how the 
earth has been doing while we have been on the waves. 
The old sailor slowly moves onward and up the wheel- 
house to the captain, and having shaken hands with him 
he draws out two newspapers. The captain throws them 
into the crowd, and now comes the scramble. The for- 
tunate ones, however, have not much reason to boast, for 
the papers are nine days old — the pilot having been out 
for that period of time. But after the first burst of dis- 
appointment the papers are eagerly read. 

Before going to rest, or on rising the next morning, 
certain presents are expected from the passengers. The 



THE porter's expectations. 37 

steward who waits on you looks for a sovereign ; the 
porter who blacks your boots for a crown ; and the porter 
who makes your bed and sweeps your state-room for half 
a sovereign. These contributions are voluntary ; but a 
man is thought mean if he do not make them, and woe- 
be to him if he return in the boat in which he has omitted 
them. 

After a night's rest we wake up in one of the Liverpool 
docks. 



38 LETTEES FROM EUROPE, 



9Mtx inxxU}. 

THE LANDING. 

AFTER a good rest during the niglit, while we were 
moving about below the bar, waiting for high tide, I 
arose, and, going on deck, found that we were just tying 
up in one of the Liverpool docks. Every thing around 
seemed massive masonry, but in the distance here and 
there a green spot could be seen. On shore were police 
officers and custom house officers, in uniform and arms ; 
one of the latter came on board and made an examina- 
tion of the ship, with a view to discover smuggled goods. 
Before his departure he examined and marked several 
trunks belonging to old travelers, who soon disappeared 
with their luggage, and were on their way to London in 
the early morning train. The less experienced ones 
pressed around the officer, begging him to do likewise 
for us; but no. Suddenly he stopped short, and, with a 
stern and surly air, said, ''I will not examine another 
trunk 1" Now, the secret is this : I have no doubt those 
experienced gentlemen, who got off in advance of us, 
privately paid the custom house officer for his favor; the 
less knowing did not understand the process. Our bag- 
gage was now slowly placed upon some huge wagons, 
drawn by immense Norman dray horses, and after a long 
time conveyed to the Nelson Dock station, where we were 
told to meet it. After having taken an early break- 
fast, provided on the boat, we repaired to the appointed 
place. Here we were destined to wait outside the station, 



LIVERPOOL SIGHTS. 39 

which was closed. Fortunately it was a pleasant morn- 
ing, and we seated ourselves on boxes and barrels in the 
adjoining warehouses, and amused ourselves by observing 
the things new and strange to American eyes : such as 
the slow movements of the big Irish and English labor- 
ers, who moved around like old wagon horses, their boots 
being scarce less heavily loaded with iron than the hoofs 
of those respectable animals. Then came the cabs and 
hansoms. To each horse was attached a bag to carry the 
daily supply of oats and hay; while the horse stands the 
bag is suspended under his nose, so that he may save 
time by eating as his driver waits for employment. The 
hansom is an improved form of carriage, which is more 
safe than ordinary ones, and allows the passengers a good 
view of the country, the driver's seat being behind 
instead of before. It is named for the inventor and 
patentee. With the cabmen came the shoe-black boys, 
who travel around with blacking brushes, blacking, and 
a frame-work on which the stranger's foot may rest while 
his boot is receiving the polish. Englishmen are very par- 
ticular about their boots. Not so Americans. The dif- 
ference in this respect is easily explained : we live in the 
mud — the English have no place to put any mud : around, 
before, behind — all is brick and stone till you get to the 
grass in the country. Bridges, sidewalks, roads here 
are all stone. The space between the railway is paved 
with blocks of stone, and all around the docks, sepa- 
rating them from the city, is a massive stone wall, which 
must have cost a sum of money the interest of which 
would keep on foot a regiment of soldiers large enough 
to encircle the city. This wall is deemed necessary for 
the protection of the property in the warehouses. Every 
thing here, even in these stones, is associated with his- 
tory. This is the Nelson Dock, reminding you of the 
great Admiral j next is the Collingwood Dock, calling up 



40 LETTERS FROM EUROPE. 

the memorable words of the dying hero: "Tell Colling- 
wood to anchor I" 

But here we are waiting. An Englishman is a sin- 
gular animal; he must move in a beaten path, at a meas- 
ured pace, and in an accustomed manner. His manner 
is to rise at a certain hour, which is as late as may be, 
if he he an officer of government. Then he must put on 
his morning gown and take off his night-cap; nest he 
must read his prayers; then take his breakfast, mum- 
bling his toast as if he had no teeth, and sipping his 
tea as if it were scalding hot; reading the daily news, 
and having a good long family chat. Then he must be 
shaved and have his hair curled, and his boots blacked, 
and his coat brushed, and be dressed, and all this must 
be done sloxoly and in order, before he can stir, no matter 
what the exigency. It is well if he do not next require 
an hour in addition for his morning pipe. 

By ten o'clock the subordinate officials are astir. You 
may imagine the rush of the impatient crowd as the 
doors are thrown open. A trunk is opened and marked; 
then an official cries out, "Nothing more done till every 
person leaves the room. Out, every one of you, and we 
will call you in one by one." Then the list of passengers 
is called for, and one by one as they are entered on the 
boat's record they are brought forward to open their 
trunks.- The process takes about three hours. Tobacco 
and cigars seem to be the principal things sought after 
and found; these are weighed and charged with appointed 
duties. During the operation I hired a cab to go up 
into the city and inquire of some Methodist minister in 
regard to the conference at Birmingham. A long time 
elapsed before I could learn any thing of a Wesleyan 
minister or Church. At lengh I started. Now com- 
menced the system of petty exactions. The cabmen 
charge so much an hoixr or a mile. They take the 



PROVOKING DELAYS. 41 

stranger a round-about way to the place, that they may 
have a large bill. Arrived at a church, I stepped out to 
make inquiry, and went from corner to corner without 
finding any body that knew aught of the minister or the 
church. Returning, I found a heavy bill of charges, 
and among other things a shilling for waiting while I 
made inquiry. Looking in at the confused mass of peo- 
ple and baggage I was not a little amused. By this time 
the head officer — as I judged — had made his appearance. 
He was standing in the midst, in 

"Fair round belly, with good capon lined — 
With eyes severe, and beard of formal cut," 

looking leisurely on through his opera glass. As I stood 
looking, up came an officer of the Baltic. 

"Terrible I" said I; "here are parents waiting to see 
their children, husbands anxious to hear from their 
wives, sisters eager to meet their brothers — men and 
women, perhaps, to whom a day's delay may be ruin; 
and yet we must be detained hour after hour, while these 
few officers slowly go through their search for tobacco." 

" Yes," said he, " I feel like d g the whole British 

Grovernment up and down for you; but I am so exceed- 
ingly busy this morning." 

Of course we excused him from such a service very 
cheerfully. At length my turn came. As I unlocked 
my trunk the officer said : 

"Do you smoke ?" 

"No." 

" Do you chew ?" 

"No, nor snuff." 

His examination was very superficial in my case. I 
believe he mistook me for a clergyman of the Estab- 
lished Church. Without a moment's delay I called up 
a cab, and the porter put my trunk on the top of it, 
saying as I stepped in. 

4 



42 LETTERS FROM EUROPE. 

"Remember the porter." 

''How much?" 

" Leave it to you." 

"No, no — I am a stranger; say what you expect." 

"A shilling." 

Off now to Waterloo Hotel. The cabman, having 
been paid, touched his hat and said, "My wages are low, 
can't you give me an additional shilling?" The Water- 
loo is one of the best English taverns, but in size and 
furniture is very far below a second-rate New York hotel. 

You are received by a lady, shown to your room by a 
lady, you settle with a lady, etc. What do you think of 
a lady for a bar-keeper? It is not till you enter the 
coffee-room that you find yourself in presence of a gen- 
tleman. The cooking is admirable; beefsteak is beef- 
steak, and nothing else; mutton-chop is mutton chop, 
without any doubt. If any thing is set before you, 
you can tell at once whether it is roasted or boiled — no 
doubt as to what the cooks have been doing with it. 
And the vegetables ! — why, dear me, the potatoes seem 
to eat themselves in your mouth, and the lettuce curls 
up under your knife as if to tell you it is just ready. 
And the fruit — now, forgive me if I tell you that straw- 
berries, plums, grapes, and even peaches, and apricots, 
and nectarines, put our American fruit to the blush. 
You can hardly dispose of a strawberry without a deli- 
cious effort. 

I took a walk in the city through the principal streets, 
and was surprised to find many of them spacious. Some 
of the stores are magnificent. The lower parts of the 
city are narrow, old, smoky, repulsive. Many things re- 
mind me that I am in a strange country — such as the 
police in uniform at the corners of the streets; high 
stone walls; the Queen's arms over many of the doors, 
with the words, "By appointment," "Cutler," or "Bill- 



MY NATIVE COUNTRY. 43 

iard-Table Maker to hex- Majesty." The explanation of 
this is, simply, the Queen must have needles, and pins, 
and coal, and butter. Well, when she buys the most 
trifling article of any one, forthwith he gets up the 
arms, and sets forth, '' By appointment to her Majesty." 
Then there is statuary. Here in the Royal Exchange, 
for example, is a statue of Nelson falling into the arms 
of Death, while Victory comes down to crown his brow 
with her' wreath. Well, this is a glorious country — my 
native country. Well may her poet say, "With all thy 
faults I love thee still." It is the land of Shakspeare and 
Milton, of Newton and Bacon, of Wesley and Welling- 
ton — the land of Protestants and Bibles, of Magna 
Charta and habeas corpus, of Christianity and Constitu- 
tional liberty. God bless her, and deliver her from beer! 



44 LETTERS FROM EUROPE. 



Wtiitx ixtUi 

LIVERPOOL — RAILROAPS — VERDURE — CHOLERA — BOOKS. 

MY impressions of Liverpool were very much altered 
by taking a walk through its principal streets. They 
present a diflferent aspect from the low, dingy, narrow 
streets through which I passed in the morning j indeed, 
some of the stores are magnificent. I will not stop here 
to say what has been said a thousand times about this 
city — that it is growing, was once interested in the slave- 
trade, and is now one of the gi-eat commercial cities of 
Europe, etc. Without tarrying long, I set off for Lon- 
don; intending, however, when I left the tavern, to go 
to Birmingham, where the British conference was then 
in session. But when I reflected that, owing to some 
misunderstanding, we were without a representative 
there, I changed my mind, fearing lest I might be 
received with coldness — a circumstance which would 
have been painful to me; for I am too proud of my 
country and my Church to endure with patience any 
neglect shown to either. 

The arrangements of the railroad appear to be as per- 
fect as human things can be ; roads, cars, wheels, are all 
substantial and smooth. The depots are magnificent. 
Every officer keeps his place, and the whole machinery, 
animate and inanimate, moves with the regularity and 
precision of a chronometer. No one enters the cars 
before they are ready to start; every one shows his ticket 
on entering; your baggage, instead of being checked, is 



LIVERPOOL TO LONDON . 45 

committed to a guard, who travels with it, and delivers it 
to you at your destination ; policemen walk their beats in 
the station to see that all is in order; switchmen and 
watchmen stand at their appointed stations along the 
road, holding their flags in a military manner. There is 
no waiting for trains, as a double track is laid all the 
way. We have, as you know, coaches instead of cars; 
this is an arrangement suggested by English character; 
these coaches are first class, second class, third class, to 
correspond with the three ranks of society — nobility, gen- 
try, and common people. The second-class cars are usually 
taken, especially by gentlemen who travel without ladies. 
Occasionally a fool gets in with a duke to a first-class car. 
In the stations, as in the hotels, charges are graduated to 
the services with great minuteness ; thus, if you happen 
to arrive a few minutes too early, and wish to step back 
to a tavern or store, a porter will receive your baggage 
and give you a ticket, but you must pay him a penny 
for it. The stations for refreshments are very nice and 
the provisions usually dainty ; you can have any kind 
of a meal at a charge varying from a penny to a crown. 

The ride from Liverpool to London was most de- 
lightful. Some one has said you may as well shut your 
eyes if you travel by railroad, for you can see nothing of 
the country. This is not true; I saw England between 
those two cities to great advantage. Having been con- 
fined for a fortnight to the blue of sky and the freshness 
of ocean, I was charmed to survey the green of earth 
and taste the fragrance of living flowers and new-mown 
fields. The land, as you know, is gently undulating; the 
verdure is of an emerald greenness, owing to the moist- 
ure of the air; the cultivation is superior, perhaps, to 
any in the world, and every inch of soil feels its power. 
The fields looked as smooth as if they had been cut with 
a lady's scissors, and swept with a velvet brush; they are 



46 LETTERS FROM EUROPE. 

inclosed by beautiful and well-trimmed hedges of thorn, 
embracing here and there an ornamental shade-tree. 
Now you see the landscape varied by a row of trees ex- 
tending through a line, and then by a park through 
which the deer are sporting. The palaces of the nobility 
strongly contrast with the cottages of the laborers; but 
both are characterized by neatness and taste. Every 
little spot — even such as we might suppose could well 
be left untilled — is made to bloom with choice and fra- 
grant flowers. Verily, I saw but one weed between Liv- 
erpool and London, and not one stray straw or leaf upon 
garden or lawn. The whole island seems to be con- 
stantly under the agriculturist's fingers, and dressed as 
a bride adorned for her husband. A farmer who was in 
the cars remarked that the fields had been newly sheared. 
It struck me that sheared was the proper term. I asked 
if the whole island was sheared at the same time. " 0, 
no," said he, " one set of shearers, beginning at the 
south of England, go regularly northward till they reach 
the limits of Scotland — so great is the difi'erence in the 
seasons." The month of August is the season for fruits 
in England. Cherries, plums, currants, strawberries, 
etc., abound in the market, and blush upon the bushes 
and trees, just now. Unhappily, the cholera forbids 
their free use. This disease prevailed in London, Paris, 
Naples, and many other cities in Europe, most fearfully 
this month. During the last week that I spent in the 
English metropolis there were six hundred and sixty-four 
deaths from cholera reported there. This does not indi- 
cate the aggregate mortality which, according to some in- 
telligent citizens, approached sometimes six hundred a day. 
The true state of the health did not appear in public prints, 
lest a panic should be produced. So in Paris. Some days 
the deaths are supposed to have reached nearly to five 
hundred. In Naples, as a gentleman of great respect- 



BOOKSTORES. 47 

ability informs me, thirty thousand people demanded 
passports to leave. A physician of London says that he 
had one hundred cases of cholera in one day, and that 
he knows another south of the Thames who had three 
hundred the same day. The incipient diarrhea, mark, is 
considered the disease itself, and so it should be. 

I intended to put up in London at the London Coffee 
House — a very good inn, well located — but a fellow-pas- 
senger of the Baltic who was in the same car with my- 
self, and who had been in the city before, advised me to 
go with him to a private boarding-house. This house is 
situated in a street leading into Cheapside. My chamber 
window opens toward St. Olave, in the old Jewry, and 
the front door of the building is toward the Bow Church, 
one of Sir Christopher Wren's prettiest structures, whose 
steeple holds the bells within the sound of which the 
cockneys are born. You are aware that London proper 
is comprised within narrow limits — limits to which the 
sound of Bow-street bells is said to extend. 

Business before pleasure; so I first gave attention to 
the purchase of books. The chief business houses in 
this line are those of H. G. Bohn, York-street, Covent 
Garden ; J. K. Smith, Soho Square ; Southeran, Son & 
Draper, Strand; William Brown, Old-street, St. Lukes; 
Mr. A. Heylin, Paternoster Row. To these gentlemen 
my dealings were chiefly confined. There are thousands 
of inferior establishments, and if one had time to spare 
he might do well to visit them; but a person whose time 
is limited to a few weeks would be a loser to pass round 
among them. There are publishers who do a large bus- 
iness in their own books — as Bagster & Son — but it is 
not a general business, and you can buy their works as 
cheap at a jobbing-house as you can at their own door. 

At New York I was told that I had better not go 
abroad to buy books ; but I did not believe it. If a man 



48 LETTERS FROM EUROPE. 

has but $5,000 to spend in books, he will find it to his 
advantage to cross the ocean. There are some curiosities 
in the book-market. I have purchased some American 
books cheaper than I could buy them in America. On 
the other hand, English books may often be purchased 
in America cheaper than they can be in England, even 
when they are not reprinted in the United States, espe- 
cially recent books. The explanation is this : the English 
publisher is anxious to prevent an American reprint. 
He will, therefore, after he has provided for the British 
market, strike off a number for the American, at the 
mere cost of paper, press-work, and binding. Thus : 
Dr. Cummings's works are sold in New York for much 
less than they can be had in London. It sometimes 
happens that works thus sent to the American market 
are brought back, and, after having paid transportation 
and duty, sold at a handsome profit. The recent deci- 
sion of the house of lords has created quite a sensation 
among publishers. It is, as you know, that none but a 
British subject can have a copyright in G-reat Britain. 
Some suppose it will have a great tendency to secure an 
international copyright. This, certainly, is desirable. I 
hope our Grovernment will soon see the propriety of ad- 
mitting, duty free, works printed in foreign languages, 
inasmuch as we do not produce such — for example, 
French and German works. 



CHURCH OP ENGLAND. 49 



fitter ^ixUi. 

THE CHURCH. 

Ti^NGrLAND is a religious nation. Her religious spirit 
-^ is every-where exhibited. For instance, the central 
compartment of the porch to Guildhall is surmounted by 
the city arms, with the motto, '^Bomine Dirigi Nos" 
underneath it. I understand this to be the motto of the 
city. The Royal Exchange has this inscription: ''The 
earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof." 

There are, however, many things connected with the 
Church in England which appear strange to us. The 
Queen is the head of the English Church, sustaining the 
same relation to it that the Pope does to the Roman 
Church. It may be said that her office is but nominal; 
nevertheless, it is real; and though she may allow herself 
to be wisely directed, yet she is legally capable of doing 
otherwise. The Parliament is the legislature of the 
Church. The Queen's Council is the supreme court of 
the Church, for to it an appeal lies from the highest ec- 
clesiastical courts. All this might be consistent while 
the Test act prevailed, and from the sovereign downward, 
all civil officers were nominally, at least, connected with 
the Church; but since men of every faith, and even men 
of no faith, have become eligible to the highest civil 
offices — Jews, infidels, Socinians, Atheists — it seems 
strange. It is this obvious inconsistency, I suppose, that 
has originated the Puseyite movement. Certain ecclesi- 
astics not being willing to see the Church and state 

5 



50 LETTERS FROM EUROPE. 

divorced, and perceiving tlie inconsistency and danger of 
subjecting the Churcli to the state, have revived the 
Roman doctrine of the subordination of the state to the 
Church. Though the origin of the controversy was prob- 
ably political, yet opposition forced the champions of Pu- 
seyism to defend the religious as well as political views of 
Rome. 

The advertisement of Church livings is one of the 
things novel to Americans. What should we think of a 
man who would advertise that he could sell the cure of a 
thousand souls at a very low rate; that the present incum- 
bent was an aged man in bad health ; and that, therefore, 
the purchaser of the living would have a fair chance of 
speedily entering upon it? What should we think of a 
minister who would purchase such a living? A noble 
lord remarked, not long ago, that he had more Church 
livings at his disposal than any man in England, al- 
though he did not believe a single article of the creed. 

The advertisement of manuscript sermons is another 
strange thing. I ought to have bought some as a speci- 
men. A minister told me that a brother minister, who 
has recently been promoted solely because of his superior 
preaching abilities, is supplied weekly by a layman with 
his sermons. The layman writes them without charge, 
and as a labor of love, esteeming it a great privilege to 
preach by proxy. 

The condition of the Church is, after all, much less de- 
plorable than you might infer from these statements. 
The politicians, whatever may be their faith, are anxious 
to preserve the Church as a prop to the state. They 
know the value of morality and religion; they are glad, 
too, to have an intelligent and reputable man in every 
parish, whose interest it is to preserve things in statu quo ; 
they are, therefore, careful not to destroy the " Establish- 
ment," or even cripple its energies, or impair its credit. 



THE DISSENTERS. 51 

The character of the clergy is in the hands of the bish- 
ops; if they are careful to lay hands on no man who is 
unworthy, whatever bargaining there may be for the liv- 
ings, the people will have good pastors j and so long as 
the bishops feel the pressure of the Dissenters, will they 
be careful in the ordination of priests. The Puseyites 
are doing, I think, a great deal, particularly in the upper 
walks, as, for instance, in the family of Wilberforce.; but 
they have provoked a powerful reaction; the opposition 
party hate Romanism, it seems to me, with a more perfect 
hatred than Dissenters. Never have I heard men or wo- 
men more furious in their denunciations of the mother 
Church, than some I have met in the communion of the 
English Church. I think, too, that the preaching of the 
anti-Puseyite clergy of the Church is more thoroughly 
evangelical than it was in former years. A stranger can 
not judge very well — but this I may safely, say, that I did 
not hear a discourse in England that was not decidedly 
evangelical. The preaching, however, did not strike me 
as equal to our American preaching — it seemed wanting 
in strong thought, in the living power of rebuke, and in 
adaptation to the times. 

The Dissenters are numerous and powerful, but they 
have not the prestige of the Establishment. The Wesley- 
ans have generally lived in peace with the national 
Church, and have advocated the principles of govern- 
mental support of religious truth. Sometimes their influ- 
ence, thrown into the scale, has determined controversies 
between the Church and the Dissenters, in favor of the 
former. So far as I can judge, they now keep aloof from 
all such controversies, and are neither inclined to pull 
down or save the Established Church. Their internal 
dissensions have been most grievous : 1 will not recite 
them. There is blame, perhaps, on both sides. In the 
Constitution of the Wesleyan Church there is much that 



52 LETTERS PROM EUROPE. 

is objectionable; but the conservative party tbougbt that 
if once they began the "work of innovation, there Vfould 
be no end to it; moreover, they could hardly satisfy the 
progressive party without changes so radical as to jeopard 
their Church property. They have lost many able minds, 
both among the laity and clergy, some of whom will per- 
haps wander off never to enter any fold again. The un- 
happy strife among the contending parties has diminished 
the piety and injured the character of the whole connec- 
tion. The seceding party is more chargeable with rash- 
ness and uncharitableness than the other. This judg- 
ment is made up from what I have heard from 
disinterested persons. Great guilt must, I fear, lie 
somewhere. It is a fearful thing to distract and divide 
the Church. Where a great moral principle is involved, 
we need not hesitate to cry aloud and spare not, fearless 
of consequences; but it seems woeful to rend the Church, 
for a trivial cause — a mere matter of Church order. The 
Wesleyan Church has shown amazing vitality; she has 
not only stood the shock, but is apparently as vigorous 
as ever. Her missions are not curtailed, her resources 
are not diminished, her laudable ambition still burns 
within her. It is probable, however, that her missions 
would have been greatly extended but for the division. 
It was my pleasure to meet, by special invitation, the 
Mission Committee at the Mission Rooms. Here were 
Rev. Mr. Farrar, President of the conference; Rev. Dr. 
Beecham; and Rev. Messrs. Hoole, and Osborn, and 
many others. They are a very fine-looking set of gentle- 
men; they were in good spirits, having just ascertained 
that their treasury is as -well replenished as it was at the 
corresponding period of last year. They inquired kindly, 
and spoke sympathizingly concerning American Meth- 
odism. 

The Mission House, or Wesleyan Centenary Hall, is a 



WESLEYAN CENTENARY HALL. 53 

monument of whicli Methodism may well be proud. It 
is situated in Bishopgate-street within, fronting Thread- 
needle-street, and was formerly the City of London Tav- 
ern. It was purchased and remodeled, with an imposing 
facade, in 1839, with funds raised on the occasion of the 
centennial celebration of Wesleyan Methodism, It is 
named in guide books as among the monuments of the 
city; it gives the Church a character and credit at home 
and abroad; it awakens the stranger to reflect upon the 
power of the Christian faith, and the magnitude of the 
missionary enterprise. When shall we have something 
like it in New York or Cincinnati? 

One thing more — though I must speak with great hesi- 
tancy. Is there not in all the Churches of Great Britain 
an exclusiveness, a sense of superiority, an arrogance, 
which is not found in the United States? Is it not a 
feeling derived through the Established Church from the 
mother Church, and fostered by the spirit of British in- 
stitutions? 

I was talking once with a gentleman who belongs to 
upper circles, in regard to the Wesleyans. "0," said he, 
"scarce any but servants belong to them." I knew this 
to be an exaggeration. I asked if they had not an im- 
portant theological institution in Richmond. At first he 
ignored it; but refreshing his memory he said, "Ah! 
yes, they have a sort of school there. The father of 

's gardener has the charge of it." In the course of 

the conversation he exclaimed, "What, you a Wesleyan!" 
I explained that I belonged to the Methodist Episcopal 
Church, in the United States. "0, that is a different 
thing! yours is a respectable Church; you have hishojys. 
I suppose yours is the established Church in America." 

Notwithstanding all the efforts of Church and state 
here to intrench religion behind a bulwark of respectabil- 
ity, there are a great many schisms, and superstitions, 



54 LETTERS FROM EUROPE. 

and enthusiasms, and false doctrines afloat. The Mor- 
mons seem to find Great Britain a more fruitful field than 
our own country. While I was there a public baptism 
took place among them, in a peculiar mode — both admin- 
istrator and subject being in a state of nudity, although 
they belonged to different sexes. 

They have agents here proclaiming their doctrines and 
enlisting emigrants. They afford pecuniary assistance to 
poor mechanics and agriculturists who are willing to em- 
bark for the land of promise, and this may help very 
much in effecting conversions. They avow their belief 
in the Book of Mormon, the prophetic character of Joe 
Smith, and the power of their elders to work miracles; 
but, in the Jesuitical spirit, they say they do not recog- 
nize the plurality of wives in England. They assume to 
be Protestant dissenters, and as such they have opened 
houses of worship, and certified them to the Registrar- 
Greneral. Notwithstanding the large emigration of Mor- 
mons which is constantly going on, they claim about sixty 
thousand in the United Kingdom — a large proportion be- 
ing in Wales. 

THE STATE. 

Englishmen seem to be delighted with their G-overn- 
ment, under which they claim to enjoy as much liberty as 
we do. They have free speech and a free press. True, 
they have a sovereign ; but she is a mere nominal mon- 
arch, exercising less power than the President of the 
United States. When a Cabinet falls into a minority in 
Parliament, the rule is that it is speedily superseded by 
one taken from the majority. This is not so in the United 
States. It may be said that the present Ministry is in 
the minority. So it is, except upon the war question; 
but parties are so divided just now that it would be 
almost impossible for the sovereign to compose a Cabinet 



ENGLISH NOBILITY. 55 

that should act harmoniously and command a majority. 
It is virtually in the power of the Commons at any time 
to displace a Ministry by passing a vote declaring their 
want of confidence in it. 

The nobility furnishes the greatest objection to the 
Grovernment, but it is deemed an indispensable support to 
the throne. Dr. Chalmers thinks it prevents the impov- 
erishment of the nation, by securing some permanent so- 
cial bights whence blessings may descend to the suffering 
valleys of poverty and ignorance below. Dr. Paley's idea 
of the benefits of primogeniture is very good : he says it 
makes only one rascal out of a family, instead of a dozen 
or so. 

It looks strange, however, to see portly, intelligent, po- 
lite gentlemen, with gray lock^, and equal in personal 
appearance to General Scott, dressed in livery, driving 
about in splendid carriages, some laced and laughing sprigs 
of nobility, while gentlemen equally respectable in ap- 
pearance are standing behind those carriages in the same 
livery, to serve as footmen. When noblemen are abroad 
it is said they put on no airs, not even as much as we 
Americans ; but at home they are very exclusive, 

" Stern and awful as a God," 

fearing the contamination of the common people. Bah ! 
Let this be considered, however, that in England a man 
may^ rise from the lowest to the highest rank, if his mer- 
its entitle him to it. 

*' You will have a nobility too erelong," say the British. 
Verily, we always have had one — as, for example, "the 
first families of Virginia" — but, according to the speci- 
mens I have seen, it is a very poor one. "I predicted 
some years ago," said a gentleman to me, "that books of 
heraldry would soon be in demand for the American 
market. My prediction is verified. Almost every Amer- 



56 LETTERS FROM EUROPE. 

ican family, as soon as it rises above ordinary respectabil- 
ity, comes over here to search for its pedigree. '^ A lady 
relative of mine doubtless supposed she was communica- 
ting welcome intelligence to me, when she told me of a 
teapot of a distant ancestor which had on it the family 
coat of arms. I will not tell what it was lest you should 
laugh. 

A grave clergyman said, "Nobility! surely you will 
have a nobility." Why? "It is nature. No great man 
can be willing to die without leaving an inheritance of 
honor to his children." 

At Hampton Court, which I visited in company with 
one of the elite, I found quite a number of families of 
decayed nobility, who are supported here, where the kings 
aforetime used to keep their concubines. Here they live, 
rent free, amid luxurious gardens, shaded walks, beauti- 
ful paintings, and flowing fountains, supported by the 
Grovernment on a sort of half pay. How much better to 
work for an honest living ! but that would not distinguish 
them from the vulgar herd. They are particularly jeal- 
ous of their honor, and, it is said, they refused to hear a 
chaplain that had been appointed to preach to them, 
simply because he was not '^ of family ^ Pshaw! 

Suffrage, as you know, is not universal. "Are you," 
said I, "likely to extend it?" "No. It is already too 
extensive." We Americans can not understand English 
views, nor can an Englishman understand ours. "Why," 
say they, "Grovernment is to protect property as well as 
liberty. Admit all to the polls, and the poor would out- 
vote the rich, and we might be ordered to pave the streets 
with gold. We may safely take it for granted that he 
who can not accumulate property, can not very well dis- 
pose of it. We can better tell how the money %oe pay to 
Grovernment can be made to promote the interest even of 
the poor, than they can themselves. How do you reason ?" 



ANECDOTE OF FRANKLIN. 57 

"We think/' I replied, "that a man who rears a fam- 
ily to till the ground, and one who shoulders a gun to de- 
fend it, is as worthy to vote, and has as deep an interest 
at stake, as he who has the purse to pay for it. Did you 
ever hear the anecdote of Franklin? It was proposed 
that thirty dollars should be a necessary qualification for 
voting. 'Well,' said Franklin, 'suppose that to-day a 
man has an ass worth thirty dollars, and, consequently, 
has a vote; to-morrow the ass dies, and he loses his vote. 
Now, was the vote in the ass or in the man ?' " 

"Ah!" responded my friend, "that Franklin was a 
wit. Your system may do now ; but when you have as 
large a proportion of needy men in your population as 
we have in ours, you must limit your suffrage." 

After all, it is clearly perceptible that the British Gov- 
ernment is gradually making progress — yielding to pop- 
ular demands — the lords more cheerfully than the com- 
mons. 



r 



58 LETTERS FROM EUROPE, 



THE QUEEN, ETC. 

I HAD a fine opportunity of seeing the Queen, her 
consort, and nobles. Having noticed in the papers an 
announcement that the sovereign would go in state to 
prorogue Parliament, I addressed a note to the Hon. 
James Buchanan, our Minister to the Court of St. James, 
whose acquaintance I had previously made, and whose 
kindness entitles him to my gratitude — requesting him 
to procure me admission on the occasion. The next 
morning's post brought me a card from the Lord Grreat 
Chamberlain, admitting me to the Royal Gallery, and 
directing me to appear in a morning dress. I had, how- 
ever, but one dress; but whether it was a morning or 
evening suit I did not know. At an early hour I re- 
paired to the Parliament-House, where I found the doors 
strongly guarded, and a crowd of ladies and gentlemen 
waiting for admission. After we had tarried some time, 
the door was ^opened by policemen. While waiting, I 
perceived that along the streets through which the state 
carriage was to pass, temporary platforms were erected, 
houses were opened, and crowds were gathering, eager to 
give almost any sum for a footing on a platform or at a 
door or window; it is supposed that to those living along 
the line of the royal procession, the day was a profitable one. 
I noticed, too, that laborers were engaged in spreading 
fresh sand over the streets for the feet of Her Majesty's 
horses, and others were spreading carpets from the door 



ENGLISH LADIES. 59 

of her private entrance for her own. But now the doors 
are open, and on we rush; fortunately I obtained an 
excellent seat beside an intelligent English lady, who 
was capable of answering my inquiries. Here we sat 
full two hours before the entrance of Her Majesty; but 
we were amused all the while. Here were chamberlains, 
and heralds, and trumpeters, and policemen, and yeomen 
of the guard, and lords in waiting. Some in black and 
some in red; some distinguished by their stockings and 
others by their breeches ; some have epaulets and some 
have none; some have ribbons where others have buckles; 
some have swords and others staves; some coats and 
others robes; some watch at this door and others at that. 
Those inferior in ofl&ce seem the more absurdly adorned — 
generally arrayed in gayly-emblazoned crimson tunics, 
and round velvet hats with party-colored ribbons taste- 
fully disposed. Here they rush, this way and that way. 
And now a troop of horse guards enters, full-armed, with 
shining boots and glittering cuirasses. Soon the stream 
of nobles and embassadors began to flow. The ladies of 
the nobility struck me as being remarkable for two 
things — elegant dresses and homely faces. I had thought 
that the English ladies were more fair and beautiful than 
the American. I give it up. They move on usually 
with great grace, though some go with a strut that re- 
minds one of a peacock conscious of being in its best 
estate. One lady advanced, having a face as homely as 
any I had ever seen in respectable society. They whis- 
pered, as she passed, "The Duchess of ." The 

embassadors appeared, of course, in court costume, re- 
splendent with stars, crosses, ribbons, and orders. But 
the scarlet and blue, the silver and gold of European 
costume were eclipsed by the gorgeous state dresses 
of the eastern princes. Among these were His High- 
ness Maharajah Dhuleep Singh, His Highness Gholara 



CO LETTERS FROM EUROPE. 

Mohammed, His Higliness Feroze Shah, and the Rajah 
of Coorg, clad in the richest products of Indian looms, 
and dazzling with pearls and precious metals. Scarcely 
less magnificent was the costume of Vely Pasha, the Ot- 
toman embassador at the Court of St. Cloud, and his 
suite. Suleiman Pasha, attended by Iskander Bey, came 
in leaning on the arm of Hon. Col. Murray, late Consul- 
Greneral in Egypt, and followed by three young Egyptian 
attaches, all in blue military uniform and gold epaulets, 
wearing the Fez. I confess I was greatly delighted to 
see Mr. Buchanan and his suite enter in plain citizen's 
dress; it was a relief, and made me feel proud of my 
country. 

At length the royal procession leaves Buckingham 
Palace. The advance carriages convey the Marquis of 
Abercorn ; Lord Ernest Bruce, Vice-Chamberlain ; Lord 
George Lennox, Lord-in-Waiting to Prince Albert; Hon. 
F. Cavendish and Major-Greneral Wylde, Grrooms-in-Wait- 
ing to Prince Albert; Major-Greneral the Hon. C Gray; 
the Marchioness of Ely; Hon. Mary Bulteel, and other 
ofl&cers of the household. The state carriage contained, 
besides Her Majesty and the Prince Consort, the Master 
of the Horse and the Mistress of the Robes. We were 
told that, as the procession moved along, it was greeted 
by tremendous cheering from the immense crowd that 
lined the Mall, crowded the steps of the York Column, 
and extended from the Co^lumn to the Horse-Guards. 

As the procession drew nigh there was a terrible flut- 
tering among some of the lords, especially Lord Aber- 
deen, the Duke of Norfolk, and the Duke of Argyle, who 
all proceeded to the Queen's apartments. 

A few minutes past two o'clock the roar of artillery 
announced Her Majesty's arrival. A little time having 
been spent in adjusting the robes, the Queen appeared, 
and moved to the throne between columns of armed 



THE QUEEN. 61 

horse-guards, amid a blast of silver trumpets. She was 
preceded by Lord Aberdeen, carrying the crown, and the 
Duke of Newcastle, bearing the sword. She leaned upon 
the arm of Prince Albert, who was on her left, and she 
was followed by two very beautiful ladies, who, I think, 
were the Duchess of Sutherland and Hon. Mary Bulteel, 
and who held her train; they were assisted by two boys 
in military uniform, who held up the terminal part of 
the train. 

The Queen having taken her seat upon the throne, 
with the great officers of state around her, the Usher of 
the Black Rod was ordered to summon the house of com- 
mons, which soon appeared, led by their Speaker. The 
Lord Chancellor, kneeling before the throne, presented 
to LTer Majesty her speech, which she read with great 
clearness. A few minutes, and all was over. The Queen, 
accompanied by the same attendants, returned by the 
way she came, and the crowd dispersed. 

The great regret that I felt was that my little boy 
could not see the show. What effect such things may 
have upon others, I can not say. They are supposed to 
impress upon the public mind an awe of majesty. This 
display had the contrary effect upon me. 

The Queen is a small, sharp woman. She wears a 
light, silver coronet, moves with grace, and is quite self- 
possessed. Her husband is a medium-sized, well-propor- 
tioned, and rather handsome man. 

They say Her Majesty is clever — a good linguist and a 
good artist, a lover of nature, and an adept at landscape- 
drawing. She is wonderfully popular, and fox- two rea- 
sons : 1. She minds her children; 2. She minds nothing 
else. It is said that when a paper is presented for her 
signature, she inquires into it; but no one suspects that 
she would hesitate to sign what is prepared for her by 
the Lords of her Cabinet. She has set a good example 



62 LETTERS FROM EUROPE. 

before the nation. Instead of squandering her money, 
she economizes, and of her earnings — as they call it — 
she has bought the elegant property known as the " Os- 
borne House," which is her favorite summer residence. 
She has a good influence upon the Court; there is far 
less of debauchery than formerly among the nobility, 
and perhaps less now about the English court than about 
any other in Europe. This has greatly strengthened the 
throne. It is said the prestige of royalty is as great now 
in England as it was at the restoration of Charles TI; 
and connected with the virtue of the sovereign and the 
chivalry of the people, it makes the throne as secure as 
it ever was. 

The Queen travels about a good deal. This is said to 
be necessary to divert her mind, as she has exhibited, at 
times, indications of approaching insanity. She proba- 
bly inherits from her grandfather a predisposition to 
mental alienation. If it should ever develop itself, it 
■will not, I suppose, be brought on by the cares of state. 

She is not an (Edipus, who, grateful for the crown, 
feels her obligation to sympathize with all the griefs of 
the people, or to risk her life and safety for their welfare. 
She can not, I suppose, say : 

" Alas ! my sons — well I know 
The various labors that oppress the state ; 
Nor hath your sovereign borne amidst you all 
The slightest share of woe. Still have I felt 
For every pang the meanest subject knows. 
This breast, where all your cares a center finds, 
Feels no repose, but bears an empire's toils. 
Whether by night upon my couch I lie, 
Or thronged in regal pomp. All-seeing Jove ! 
Witness the tears I shed, the sighs I pour." 

She probably regards herself as the fortunate repre- 
sentative of an idea, and the happy means of saving the 
British nation from the trouble and expense of selecting 



THEROYALFAMILY. 63 

a head. We can but honor her, however, fur her domes- 
tic virtues, and the good influence which she exerts over 
the nobility of the realm. 

She has added many years to the duration of royalty 
in England. Had a George IV succeeded to William 
Henry, the English might have had a republic by this 
time. But so much are they in love with Victoria that 
they would bear a great deal from her children rather 
than rebel. The Prince of Wales, they say, is weak 
in the upper story. It were surprising if he were 
not so, as both his parents are grandchildren of Greorge 
III. Alas ! royalty in Europe must sooner or later run 
out, since the families are obliged to mingle their bloods 
till they get well-nigh bloodless, and their wits till they 
get well-nigh witless. They ought to hail with joy an 
intruder among them, such as Napoleon. 

This, perhaps, is no great matter to England; for she 
must be republican erelong. Ours is the only form of 
government for an enlightened and moral people. 

It is amusing to observe the attention which the royal 
family receives. The papers, secular and religious, reg- 
ister their movements and their maladies, their amuse- 
ments and their joys. Such paragraphs as these are 
inserted every day : 

" The Queen and Prince Albert -walked out on Wednesday and 
Friday, and the younger members of the family took rides in the 
vicinity of Balmoral." 

" The Prince was deer-stalking in the forest on Thursday." 
"On Saturday the Queen and Prince rode out on horseback, and 
the young Princess went to the Falls of Garawalt." 

When Her Majesty journeys by railroad, she is usually 
met at the station by the chairman and directors of the 
company, who conduct her and the royal suite to the 
state car or carriage. The progress of the train is tele- 
graphed from station to station, all traffic is suspended 
upon the line? a pilot engine and a staff of workmen and 



64 LETTERS FROM EUROPE. 

oflB.cials, witli all necessary tools to repair damages, ac- 
company the train ; a telegraphic agent attends with an 
electric battery to communicate with any portion of the 
line in case of accident. Whenever Her Majesty stops, 
mayor, corporation, military, populace, with music, and 
banners, and speeches, are ready to meet her. At Ports- 
mouth, where she is often obliged to take the train, a 
lady, in her loyal enthusiasm, once snatched up a little 
prince, and kissed him, crying, "0, you pretty little 
boy I" It gave unpa^rdonable offense to the royal family, 
and led to the erection of a private addition to the rail- 
way, by which Her Majesty can reach the station without 
being subjected to similar indignities, or even to the 
public gaze. Not only is Her Majesty's family the object 
of a certain adulation, but every thing she possesses. 
An engraving, which I saw at most of the taverns and 
coffee-rooms, represents a meeting which Her Majesty's 
staghounds have had lately on a certain (Ascott ?) heath. 
Now, the dogs, for aught I can see, have heads, and tails, 
and emotions, and instincts, and habits, just like other 
dogs; and there is nothing which gives national import- 
ance to their countenances, attitudes, or relations, but 
their connection with Her Majesty. I suppose when the 
horses of Her Majesty's stud, or the cats of Buckingham 
Palace or Hampton Court have a meeting, the artists will 
be ready to erect a similar monument of their appearance 
and bearing, for the edification of the kingdom. 

The Queen, I have no doubt, is, as she ought to be, 
sincerely religious in her way, though that way ad- 
mits of theater-going, dancing, and the other amuse- 
ments of fashionable life. Could she see the evils at- 
tendant on these pleasures among her people as we 
do, she would forego them for the sake of example; 
for she is a good woman as well as a good monarch, and 
I say, God bless her ! 



HOUSE OF COMMONS. 



HOUSE OP COMMONS, ETC. 

A FEW days before the prorogation, I visited the house 
•^^ of commons. A friend was kind enough to introduce 
me to a gentleman connected with the vote office, by whom 
I was at once conducted to the Speaker's Gallery. St. 
Stephen's Chapel, in which the commons formerly met, 
was destroyed by fire in 1834. The new palace of West- 
minster was begun in 1840, and is not yet finished. The 
water front, nine hundred feet long — separated from the 
Thames by a granite terrace — is very imposing; the land 
front, I suppose, will be still more so when completed. 
The building is nearly fire proof — the walls being of mag- 
nesian limestone, lined internally with brick, and the 
beams and joists of iron; the only combustible material 
is the oak wainscoting with which the walls are covered 
on the interior. The style is Gothic, highly ornamented. 
The apartment occupied by the house of commons is ob- 
long in form, sixty feet long, forty-five broad, forty-four 
high, with a roof sloping from the sides upward to a flat 
center. The entrance to it is by Westminster Hall — a 
place rich in historic interest — it is elegantly finished, 
furnished, and adorned, and so lighted from above that 
you might suppose, at night, it was midday, the light be- 
ing mellowed, however, by passing through the glass; at 
one end is the stranger's gallery, at the other the report- 
er's; above the latter is a screen which forms the ladies' 
gallery, and connected with the former are stalls for 

6 



66 LETTERS FROM EUROPE. 

peers. Tlie side galleries are reserved for members. Be- 
low, on the right and left of the entrance, are the seats 
of the members, the bar being between them. The hall 
is flanked by two division lobbies. The entire palace is 
ventilated by steam — the fresh air being drawn through 
the Victoria Tower, and the vitiated being conveyed by 
shafts through the lighter towers. 

The house of commons is purposely constructed to con- 
tain but few spectators — a precaution necessary, I sup- 
pose, to prevent disturbance or intimidation in seasons of 
great excitement. The reporter's gallery is pretty well 
filled; every half hour its occupants are relieved by 
others, and conveyed, with their notes, in carriages to the 
printing offices ; so that a part of a member's speech may 
be in type before the other part is delivered. The 
speaker wears a gown and wig, so does the clerk. The 
evening that I was there, there were but few members 
present; the cabinet generally was: indeed, it is under- 
stood that they are obliged to be, but the opposition 
benches were very thin. 

I have been told that some of the most important 
measures of the last session were passed when only seven 
or eight members were present except the cabinet. They 
say things go just as well under such circumstances as 
under others. May be — may be not. 

There is a period of the year called the "London sea- 
son," during which the nobility are generally in the city. 
This is the season for Parliament and various other 
amusements. Theaters are crowded, and balls, dances, 
parties, etc., follow each other in uninterrupted succes- 
sion. It begins, I think, in March, and ends early in 
July, when the shooting and racing season commences, 
and the aristocracy betake themselves to the country. 
You must bear in mind that members of Parliament have 
no compensation for their services. 



PARLIAMENT. 67 

The members sit in the house of commons with their 
hats on, and when one wishes to speak he throws up his 
chapeau as he rises. 

The appearance of the members, as I saw them, was 
very good. They looked like men of intelligence and 
good habits, but had far less of that rotundity and ruddi- 
ness, which characterizes John Bull, than I supposed. 
Their order was remarkable ; but for their frequent cries 
of "Hear!" all would have been decorous. The speeches 
were quite ordinary, both as to manner and matter; one 
of the orators, indeed, was a good-natured •' Merry 
Andrew," who created merriment without appearing to 
know that he was himself the subject of it. Neither 
titles nor robes can hide infirmity either of body or mind. 
With this exception, the speakers were very dignified; 
among them was Mr. Hume and several other of Eng- 
land's greatest statesmen. Lord John Russell partici- 
pated in the debate of the evening; but not till after I 
had left the house. One of the members — Sir J. Moles- 
worth — has astonished and offended the country by ap- 
pearing in his seat with white hat, vest, pantaloons, and 
coat. 

The publishing of parliamentary debates has, doubt- 
less, contributed greatly to the elevation of parliamentary 
character. The National Parliamentary and Reform 
Association publishes, at the close of the session, an 
analysis of the attendance of members, after the follow- 
ing fashion: 

Divisions. Present. Absent. 

Haytes, Rt. Hon. Wm. G 216 24 

Berkely, Sir George 13 227 

Cotton, Hon. W. H. S 7 233 

It were well if an account of the attendance of members 
of Congress were published in this country. 



68 LETTERS FROM EUROPE. 

NEWSPAPERS. 

The newspapers of Great Britain are very large and 
dear; hence the people generally are not so well informed 
as they are in this country. The Watchman — a most ex- 
cellent and able family paper, which I would advise all 
my American friends to take, and which I should not 
know how to do without — has only four thousand subscrib- 
ers; although it is, I believe, the only weekly patronized 
by the English Wesleyans. Its number of readers, 
however, is much greater — perhaps four times as many — 
since three or four families generally join to take it. 
The price is sixpence a copy, over six dollars a year. I 
supposed till lately that it was a denominational paper, 
but I find it is independent, and the conference and the 
connection generally prefer to have it so. Though inde- 
pendent, it is the organ of the Church, and can defend it 
with all the more freedom and force from its being un- 
controlled by the conference. 

The political newspapers are generally mammoth con- 
cerns. Take the Times, for example. It was established 
in 1788. You may form an idea of its magnitude from 
its taxation. It was taxed in 1851, £95,000, $475,000; 
namely, £16,000 for paper, £60,000 for stamps, £19,000 
for advertisements. I suppose its tax must be much 
greater now, in consequence of the war. Its circulation 
is from fifty to sixty thousand daily, at Qd. apiece, and it 
receives eighteen pounds a column for advertisements. 
It has always been distinguished for its independence and 
integrity — a remarkable illustration of the old proverb, 
that honesty is the best policy. A short time since a 
president of a railway offered the editor a large sum if 
he would puff his road. The editor, instead of accept- 
ing the bribe, published the note, with some scathing 
remarks. It is said the editor of the Times can hardly 



POSTAL AFFAIRS. 69 

ever be seen. He writes but little — ^just sits upon the 
tripod and draws out subjects and heads to be handed to 
his subordinates, who fill them up. Its correspondence 
is very extensive. Its Vienna correspondent alone costs 
^10,000. There is a difl&culty, aside from their price, in 
the way of sending English papers abroad — it is the post- 
age, which is a penny a number. 

POST-OFFICE. 

The postal arrangements of Great Britain are admira- 
ble. For a penny you can send a letter to any part of 
Great Britain. American letters which are prepaid reach 
you without any additional charge. In our country there 
is an additional postage on foreign letters that pass be- 
yond the seaboard — a charge which can not be paid 
abroad. To make our international postage system com- 
plete, this should be arranged. The postage of a penny 
in England covers the cost of the delivery of the letter. 
A large regiment of men, in red uniform, connected with 
the post-office, are engaged in London, delivering letters. 
Each one has his beat, and is conveyed to it from the 
post-office by swift omnibuses. Sixpence pays the post- 
age of an ordinary letter to the most distant parts of the 
British empire, as well as to various kingdoms not con- 
nected with it. 

In no case can a letter be taken from the office after it 
is once posted. I learned this to my cost. A friend 
wrote me from the United States, without paying the 
postage, directing the letter to the care of Mr. Mason, 
City Koad. It was refused by the clerk, because it was 
not post-paid. As soon as I learned the fact I applied at 
the inquiry-office for it; but it was posted and could not 
be had. I went from officer to officer in vain; and 
having spent no little time and money in the pursuit, left 
the country without it, to suffer painful apprehensions on 



70 LETTERS FROM EUROPE. 

my return voyage, as the last letters -wliicli liad reached 
me informed me of the prevalence of cholera in the vil- 
lage where I live, and around my home. Better prepay. 

EDUCATION. 

The English have had many difficulties in regard to 
common schools. The Government felt compelled to do 
something to promote general education. Three courses 
pi-esented themselves: to commit the youth to the care 
of the Established Church; to form a system of com- 
bined education exclusive of religion; or, to patronize 
existing schools, local and denominational, leaving their 
internal management to the local or sectarian authorities, 
but permanently securing the school buildings, the in- 
spection of the schools, and the appointment of instruct- 
ors, to the Government. The last, I believe, is the one 
adopted. By many the plan is denounced as infidel, 
because it does not recognize religion as the basis of ed- 
ucation, and the Bible as the foundation of religion. It, 
I suppose, does virtually endow Socinian, infidel, and 
Catholic schools, allowing them to exclude the Bible. It 
is the plan which the Catholics desire to establish in this 
country. 

Fears are entertained that it will lead, sooner or later, 
to the endowment of the Catholic Church — this would re-- 
quire only an extension of the same principle — and that 
the Jesuits and Puseyites will secure too many tutors, 
who, under the character of instructors, will virtually be 
priests. Perhaps these fears may be groundless; perhaps 
I do not understand the system. The Wesleyans, who at 
first opposed the plan, have, I believe, at length fallen in 
with it. They have about five hundred day-schools in the 
kingdom, in which they are educating about fifty thou- 
sand scholars. They have also an extensive Normal insti- 
tution at Westminster, under the superintendence of 



WKSLEYAN BOOK CONCERN. 71 

Rev. John Scott. Of this 1 may speak in another letter; 
for I visited it, and made some notes concerning it. 

In estimating the influence of the Wesleyans upon na- 
tional education, we must not overlook their Book Con- 
cern, the business of which, they tell me, is not less than 
^200,000 per annum. Nor must we fail to take into 
account their periodicals — weekly, monthly, and quar- 
terly — and their Sabbath schools, more than four thou- 
sand in number, in which they have enrolled nearly four 
hundred and two thousand scholars. 



72 LETTERS FROM EUROPE. 



WESTINIINSTER ABBEY. 

ONE of the first objects that attracted my attention was 
Westminster Abbey. We have read of that little 
island of thorns, around which, in the days of the 
Druids, the Thames in her march threw an arm, and on 
which the Roman colonists erected a temple to Apollo. 
When the Christian faith, advancing from the east, 
began to make the desert rejoice and the wilderness blos- 
som as the rose, Sebert, king of the East Saxons, cleared 
away the thorns and reared on the ruins of the temple a 
rude church, which he dedicated to St. Peter, and which 
in 1616 embosomed his remains. A neat monument still 
marks the place of his repose. Three hundred years 
afterward King Edgar established here a humble priory, 
consisting of twelve monks of the Benedictine order. 
One hundred and fifty years later Edward the Confessor 
elevated the priory to an abbey, within whose enlarged 
walls he found an honorable tomb. The Pis, which is 
still standing on the south, is one of the additions which 
he made to the Abbey. It was not, however, till 1220 
that the present church was commenced by Henry III, 
to whom is ascribed the chapels of the Virgin and of 
the Confessor, the transepts and the choir. The building 
was carried on by successive abbots and kings, but is not 
yet finished, and, perhaps, never will be; it is one of 
those structures that mock the pride of men, and whose 



■WESTMINSTER ABBEY. 73 

foundations crumble before the copestone of the last 
tower can be put on. It was called Westminster; that 
is, the minster or monastery church west of London. It 
consists, 1. Of Henry A''II's Chapel, the exterior of 
which has been recently restored, at an expense of two 
hundred thousand dollars; 2. Edward the Confessor's 
Chapel and shrine, with the chapels of St. Nicholas, St, 
Benedict, St. Edmund, St. John the Baptist, St. Paul, 
and St. Erasmus; 3. The Transepts; 4. The Choir; 5. 
The Nave; 6. St. Blaze's Chapel; 7. The Jerusalem 
Chamber; 8. Chapter House; 9. Pix; 10. Little Clois- 
ters; 11. Dark Cloisters; 12. Area of Cloisters; 13. 
Dean's Yard. Exteriorly the church measures five hun- 
dred and thirty feet by two hundred and twenty; the 
hight of the roof being one hundred and two feet. 

I entered one week-day, accompanied by a friend, a 
little before three o'clock in the afternoon. Passing 
through the general entrance, on the east side of the 
south transept, we found ourselves in "Poets' Corner." 
My eye was at once riveted to the monuments of the dis- 
tinguished dead — Chaucer, Spenser, Dryden, Milton, 
Shakspeare, Prior, Addison, etc. Near by was the mon- 
ument of Dr. Isaac Barrow. There was one monument 
conspicuous, which I did not look for — that of Wilber- 
force; and one missing, which I did look for — that 
of Bacon. How important is moral character in the 
estimation of the British nation ! While we were look- 
ing at the monuments of this end of the church a bell 
rung for worship; moving to the center of the transept, 
which is filled with seats, to which the humblest beggar 
has an equal right with the proudest prince, I sat down 
among respectful worshipers, just as the priests with the 
"Parvi Clerici," or chorister boys, all arrayed in their 
ecclesiastical vestments, took their seats in the richly- 
carved stalls of the choir, and the grand organ sounded 

7 



74 LETTERS FROM EUROPE. 

its admonitory notes. A prayer book "was before me, and 
I opened it devoutly; the service was intoned; bad I 
known nothing of tbe language I should have been 
charmed, for it was delicious music from the beginning 
to the close. Never before had I heard the choral serv- 
ice. As it proceeded my feelings became overpowering. 
Think of my situation and you will forgive me. Here 
I was, in the center of the transept of the largest Gothic 
ecclesiastical structure of Grreat Britain; just before me, 
in full view, were the choir, the organ, the lofty nave, 
and the great west window; behind me were the seven 
chapels, and on each side the great windows of the 
transepts, with their gorgeously-painted glass; around 
and beneath were the monuments of the mighty dead; 
while every thing to which my eye could turn was asso- 
ciated with the history of the past. Here Druids once 
offered bloody sacrifices; here a long line of priests and 
abbots lived and died ; here the kings and queens of 
Great Britain, ^from Edward the Confessor to Queen 
Victoria, were ' crowned ; here, too, from the days of 
Henry HI to those of George II, they were entombed. 
To this altar eastern princes brought their incense as to 
the Savior's cradle, and crusaders consecrated their vic- 
torious swords; and from it have often gone forth the 
beautiful feet that have carried the tidings of peace to 
distant mountains. The gorgeous building, the solemn 
associations, the monuments of the dead, the multitude 
of the living, the chants of the choir, the notes of the 
organ, and grand current of liturgical thought on which 
my soul was willingly borne, were too much for me, I 
seemed to sit in the mouth of the world's sepulcher, 
while the reanimated dead were chanting themselves up 
to the resurrection morning. The tears stole down my 
cheeks, and but for a strong effort of will I might have 
fainted. After the last amen had been uttered I arose. 



WITHIN THE ABBEY. 75 

thanking in my heart the British Government for ordain-,^ 
ing such a service for the stranger. 

\Yhen the congregation had dispersed, I walked 
through the aisles of the nave and the nave itself, re- 
turning to the transept at the north end. Here a little 
boy informed us that a guide was ready to conduct us 
through the seven chapels. The center of these is Ed- 
ward the Confessor's, whose floor of impaired mosaic 
pavement is several feet above the general level of the 
floor of the Abbey. Here, in the center of the platform, 
is the shrine of the Confessor, and around it are the 
tombs of the following royal personages: Henry III; 
Eleanor, wife of Edward I; Edward I; Phillippa, wife 
of Edward III; Edward III; Richard II, and Anne his 
queen; and Henry V. Some of these tombs, though 
considerably damaged, are exceedingly rich; they are 
most of them surmounted by recumbent bronze effigies, 
which are in some instances gilt; twenty-five hundred 
pounds have just been voted for their repair. There are 
five other tombs of noble persons on this platform. In 
this chapel are two large chairs. One of them is the 
coronation chair brought from Scotland by Edward I, 
underneath which is suspended the large, rough stone 
on which the kings of Scotland had previously been 
crowned, and which, in the superstition of England, is 
associated with the sovereignty of this realm. The 
other is the chair which was provided for Mary, wife of 
William III, when she was crowned jointly with her hus- 
band. 

From this chapel we passed into the ambulatory, and 
the chapels opening into it, all of which are surrounded 
by tombs and monuments, modern and ancient — the 
oldest, that of William de Valence, is dated 1296. From 
the ambulatory we ascended a small flight of steps into 
Henry VII's Chapel, or the Chapel of the Virgin Mary. 



76 LETTERS FROM EUROPE. 

This is the gem of the whole structure. "Throw your 
eye upward/' said the guide; and well he might, for the 
roof is most beautiful ; it is wrought into circles, which 
are carved in elegant fantracery, each circle having a 
pendant boss in the center. "That roof, apparently so 
light," said the guide, "is solid stone." The pillars and 
arches by which it is supported are adorned with orna- 
mental carving, and the walls are decorated with statues 
of patriarchs and prophets, martyrs and apostles. In 
this chapel are several royal tombs, the most sumptuous 
of which is that of Henry VII and his queen, Elizabeth; 
among the most remarkable of the others are those of 
Queen Elizabeth, Queen Mary, and Mary Queen of Scots. 
Separating the nave of this chapel from the aisles are 
the carved stalls and screen work of the Knights of 
the Bath, above which are suspended their respectire 
banners. 

Moving among these tombs, one can but reflect upon 
the desolations of time and the weakness of humanity. 
The heads of some of these effigies were of solid silver, 
but these have been decapitated and probably run into 
more useful forms. One tomb has a vacancy ; the noble 
lord who erected it designed it for his second wife, who re- 
fused to occupy it because it was on his left hand, the first 
wife being on the right. These monuments to the dead 
may inspire British youth with virtuous heroism. Many 
of them, especially those in the transept and aisles of 
the nave of the Abbey proper, address powerfully the 
heart as well as the eye. Here is Pitt speaking with 
commanding grace, while Liberty listens in a transport 
of joy and Anarchy in a transport of rage; here Fox 
reclines his head in Liberty's arms, while Peace and an 
emancipated negro look up with satisfaction at his feet; 
here Newton sits in lofty contemplation, and Wilberforce 
in serene triumph; here Canning stands in majesty, 



AMONG THE TOMBS. 77 

while Mansfield, in the robes of Chief Justice sits on a 
pedestal with Justice and "Wisdom behind him. 

I desired to visit the Chapter-House, but it was not 
accessible without an express order from the Record 
Office. I believe it is still used as a place of depository 
for the Dooms-Day Book and other public documents. I 
did not enter either the Pix or the cloisters, but left after 
I had passed round the seven chapels. 



78 LETTERS FROM EUROPE 



ST. PAUL' S. 

A FEW days after I visited Westminster, I entered St. 
Paul's — next to St. Peter's, at Rome, the largest 
Christian temple in the world — the great Protestant ca- 
thedral. Like Mt. Zion, it is beautiful for situation — 
elevated; central — the joy of all London. The ground 
on which it stands — St. Paul's Church- Yard — has been 
the site of a cathedral since the early part of the sixfeh 
century, and has been a place of sepulture since the 
Roman conquest. In digging the foundations of the 
present structure — 1674 — the workmen pierced, at differ- 
ent distances, the graves of four different peoples : the 
modern English; the Saxons, denoted by their stone sar- 
cophagi; the Britons, known by the ivory and wooden 
pins with which they fastened their shrouds; and the 
Romans, marked by their broken urns. The history of 
St. Paul's would be, to a great extent, the history of 
Great Britain. • 

Old St. Paul's was six hundred and ninety feet by 
one hundred and thirty feet, with a nave one hundred 
and two feet, and a choir eighty-eight feet high. In 
1643, by decree of the Long Parliament, its revenues 
were seized, its nave became a garrison for troopers, and 
the cross, where for ages the highest Church dignitaries 
had preached, was torn down. In 1663 Charles II com- 
menced its restoration; but, while the repairs were in 
progress, the great fire of 1666 swept over it. In 1765 



ST. PAUL'S. 79 

Sir Christopher Wren laid the first stone of the present 
cathedral, and in 1710 his son laid the last of the lan- 
tern of the cupola — St. Paul's being one of the very few 
cathedrals that have been erected under the superin- 
tendence of the same architect. It is not built accord- 
ing to Sir Christopher's model — which is still shown in 
the building, and which all now agree is superior to that 
which was adopted. Two parties — Papal and Protest- 
ant — influenced the commissioners who were charged with 
the work ; the former desired to adapt the proposed edi- 
fice to ecclesiastical fetes and processions, and the latter 
to Christian worship and song. A compromise was made. 
The building is, however, in the form of the cross, hav- 
ing nave and transepts. Its entire length is five hun- 
dred feet, transept proper two hundred and eighty-five 
feet, breadth of nave and transept one hundred and 
seven feet. Over the intersection of nave and transept 
rises the dome, above which stand successively the lan- 
tern, the ball, and the cross. The average hight of the 
walls is ninety feet, the hight of the campanile towers two 
hundred and twenty, that of the summit of the cross four 
hundred and four. The principal entrance is in the west 
front, which is the most beautiful ; its pediment is orna- 
mented with statues of St. Peter, St. John, and St. Paul, 
and its entablature with a representation of the miracu- 
lous conversion of the last-named apostle ; the other en- 
trances are at the north and south ends of the transepts, 
by semicircular hexastyle porches. Passing by a massive 
gate through the iron railing which surrounds that por- 
tion of the Church-Yard encompassing the building, I 
entered by the northern portico, over which is carved 
the royal arms, supported by angels. It was in the in- 
terval between morning and evening worship, which is 
performed here every day, and I found no difficulty in 
reaching a sort of ticket-officer, to whom I paid 4s. 2d. 



80 LETTERS FROM EUROPE. 

to see the curiosities by the assistance of a guide. We 
first made the circuit of nave, choir, and transepts, ob- 
serving the monumental sculptures, concerning which I 
noted two remarks: 1. They are all modern, none having 
been allowed here till 1796; 2. With the exception of 
eight all are erected to naval or military commanders. 
The first which fixed my attention is a representation of 
Fame consoling Britannia for the loss of her heroes; the 
chief — between the dome and the choir gates — exhibits 
Nelson, arrayed in his Turkish pelisse, leaning upon an 
anchor with a coil of rope at his feet; on one side is the 
British lion, couchant, on the other is Britannia pointing 
two young sailors upward to the exalted hero; on the 
pedestal, in relief, are allegorical representations of the 
North Sea, German Ocean, Nile, and Mediterranean; 
and on the cornice the words, "Copenhagen," "Nile," 
Trafalgar." The last — erected to Captain Dufi" — consists 
of Britannia decorating a sarcophagus on which is placed 
a medallion of the departed officer, and a sailor bearing 
the naval flag and lamenting his decease. I felt as if I 
were in a temple of "Mars" rather than of Christ. If 
you wish to inspire your child for bloody battle, take him 
to St. Paul's and let him linger there. 

There is a work of art at the entrance of the choir 
from the nave, which the stranger will not lightly pass ; 
it is the screen with its wrought iron gates. The eight 
Corinthian columns of blue-veined marble that support 
the organ and gallery, beautiful in themselves, are ren- 
dered more so by their carved work. Near the gallery 
is a plain slab, bearing the name of Christopher Wren — 
the builder — and having an inscription, the last line of 
which is, 

" Lector, si monumentum requiris, circumspice." 
The organ contains thirty-two stops and two thousand, 
one hundred and twenty-three pipes ; its effects are 



CURIOSITIES OF ST. PAUL's. 81 

grand ; it was built by Bernai'd Schmidt in 1694, but has 
undergone successive alterations under the direction of 
Ohrman, Nutt, and Bishop. 

The stalls of the choir are enriched with the most ele- 
gant carving; the altar piece is adorned with four fluted 
pilasters, painted and veined with gold. Within the 
choir and aisles the floor is white; in the body and west 
end, it consists of blocks of black and white marble, 
alternately ; within the altar rails, of porphyry, polished 
and placed in geometrical forms. 

The pulpit is elegantly carved, and occupies a central 
position. But it is time to pass. Let us descend to the 
crypt; a guide precedes us with a lantern, and another is 
below, to make all necessary explanations. Its divisions 
correspond to those above, and are made by pillars forty 
feet square. In the semicircular apsis we find all that 
remains of the old cathedral, consisting of mutilated 
statues that seem scarce worth saving. In various parts 
are the bodies of the dead; among them is quite a con- 
gregation of artists — Reynolds, Walsh, Lawrence, and 
kindred spirits; but the chief attraction are the tombs 
of the two great heroes of Britain — Nelson and Welling- 
ton. That of Nelson is a sarcophagus of black marble, 
crowned with a coronet and cushion, and reposing on a 
base of masonry, which incloses the remains of the ad- 
miral; the pedestal bears the simple inscription, "Hora- 
tio Viscount Nelson." The sarcophagus is a curiosity, 
from the circumstance that it was the one which Cardinal 
AVoolscy designed for himself. That of Wellington will, 
when complete, be still more sumptuous. 

Ascending from the crypt, we pass on to the stair foot 
door leading to the whispering gallery and ball. The 
entire ascent to the ball, we are told, is six hundred and 
sixteen steps. When half way up to the whispering gal- 
lery, we meet a man who has quite a monkish aspect, and 



82 LETTERS FROM EUROPE. 

wlio leads us, by a long gallery, to the library. He re- 
peats by rote a description of it, wbicb may be con- 
densed in tbe following words: "Behold the floor; it 
consists of 2,300 pieces of oak inlaid without nails or 
pegs; the library contains many rare manuscripts, and 
polyglot Bibles, and the first Book of Common Prayer 
ever printed; it has in all seven thousand volumes. 
Mark the elegance of the wainscoting cases for the 
books, and fail not to notice this likeness of Bishop 
Compton, under whom the cathedral was built." The 
same person conducts us to the geometrical staircase, 
which consists of one hundred and ten steps, apparently 
suspended on nothing, and intended as a private way to 
the library. We now proceed onward by the west win- 
dow to the " model room," where the guide exhibits and 
explains Sir C. Wren's model of the cathedral, the rejec- 
tion of which, he assures us, is matter of regret. 

Returning toward the library, we are told to ascend a 
flight of stairs in the turret, at the top of which we 
should see the great bell. Having ascended, we are re- 
ceived by a tidy-looking lady, who points out the various 
parts of the bell and clock, and, in the manner of a 
school-girl reciting her composition, gives us the follow- 
ing information : " The bell is ten inches thick, and 
weighs eleven thousand, four hundred and seventy-four 
pounds ; the hammer lying on the outside brim weighs 
one hundred and forty-five pounds, and drawn by a 
wire at the back part of the clock-work, falls, by its 
own weight, upon the brim of the bell; the clock 
striking the hour on it, is often heard twenty miles 
off; the clapper weighs one hundred and eighty pounds, 
and is moved only on the death of a member of the royal 
family, the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Bishop of 
London, Dean of St. Paul's, or Lord Mayor. On two 
smaller bells below, the clock strikes the quarters; of 



THE GREAT BELL. 88 

these the larger one weighs over twenty-four cwt., the 
smaller over twelve cwt. The great bell produces the 
musical note A, concert pitch; the next in size is tuned 
a fifth, and the smallest an octave to the great bell. The 
prayer bell is in the opposite turret. The clock is one 
of the largest in Europe, and was made in 1708 by 
Langley Bradley. It has two dial-plates, one south, the 
other west, each fifty-seven feet in circumference. The 
minute hands are nine feet eight inches long, and weigh 
seventy-five pounds ; the hour hands five feet nine inches 
long, and weigh forty-four pounds; the figures are two 
feet two inches long; the pendulum is sixteen feet; its 
bob weighs one hundred and eighty pounds, and its beat 
is two seconds." 

The lady now directs to the whispering gallery; here a 
gentleman meets us, who bids us walk around to the op- 
posite point; then, turning to the wall, he whispers to 
us, and his voice, though there be a distance of one hun- 
dred and forty feet between us, appears close to our ear. 
Instead of whispering things foolish, he gave us some 
account of the gallery, which I am unable to recall, and 
directed us to observe, through the railing, the floor of 
the cathedral below, with its circles, and slabs of black 
and white marble; the black slabs forming a mariner's 
compass, exhibiting the thirty-two points complete; and 
also asking us to look up. It was, indeed, a relief to me 
to do so, for I was growing giddy. " And what did you 
see ?" The beautiful painting of the dome, executed by 
the great historic painter. Sir James Thornhill, and rep- 
resenting the different scenes in the life of St. Paul — his 
conversion, his judgment of Elymas, his imprisonment 
at Philippi, his preaching at Athens, his defense before 
Agrippa, and his shipwreck at Melita. A scaffolding 
was suspended from the dome by ropes, and on it an 
artist was engaged retouching the paintings, which were 



84 LETTERS FROM EUROPE. 

somewhat faded. My tickets would have admitted me to 
the golden gallery, which is higher up, and outside, 
affording a fine view of the city and surrounding country, 
and to the ball, which is large enough to contain twelve 
persons; hut I was quite weary, and descended to the 
foot of the stairs. A few days afterward, when I was 
surveying the church from a distance, I regretted very 
much that I did not reach at least the golden gallery. 
Reader, go up higher when you visit St. Paul's. Having 
noticed a few more objects below, namely, the marble 
front, the ecclesiastical court, the morning chapel, the 
lord mayor's vestry, and the Dean's vestry, I passed out, 
thinking that my time and money had been well spent. 
This building alone cost about four million dollars, when 
labor and material were very much less than they are 
now. 

The members of the cathedral originally consisted — 
besides the chorister boys and lay officers — of a bishop, 
thirty major canons or prebendaries, twelve minor can- 
ons, and thirty vicars-choral. Now a dean has the su- 
preme jurisdiction; twenty-six of the prebendaries are 
sinecures, and twenty-four of the vicars-choral are dis- 
pensed with. The lord mayor's chaplain preaches here 
on state occasions, and the dean and residentiary canons 
in turn, on Sabbath afternoon. Of the worship in this 
cathedral I purpose to write something in another letter. 

I have been thus particular in describing these build- 
ings, because you have many youthful readers, and be- 
cause we have nothing like them in this country, and 
probably never shall have, the ^tate having no authority 
to erect them, and the Church having neither means nor 
desire to do so. While I have no sympathy with the 
motive which suggested them, I have no sympathy either 
with the vandalism which would demolish a cross, where 
Latimer and Ridley had preached, or the puritanical en- 



OUR CHURCHES. 85" 

thusiasm which would turn St. Paul's into a garrison, or 
Westminster into a stable. They are deserving of pres- 
ervation as great piles of history. Though we may have 
no great cathedrals, ought we not to have churches 
adapted internally to worship, and so constructed extern- 
ally as to indicate their purpose, without being distin- 
guished from the neighboring houses, as the druggist 
distinguishes his diflFerent bottles — by a label? 



LETTERS FROM EUROPE. 



Wtiitx ^l^ott 

SABBATH IN LONDON. 

DUKINGr my first Sabbath in London, the Wesleyan 
ministers being absent at conference, I determined, if 
possible, to bear some of the great preachers of the me- 
tropolis. Dr. Cummings was first in my mind. He is of 
the Scotch National Church, and is evidently an eloquent 
speaker and a good man. His works are quite numer- 
ous — too much so for his own fame; they are generally 
written by reporters, but submitted to him for enlarge- 
ment and correction; they are in a captivating style, but 
I think less original and profound than is generally sup- 
posed ; his work on the Apocalypse is mostly borrowed. 
No man can "produce great works so rapidly as Dr. Cum- 
mings produces his. The Doctor is a general favorite. 
Indeed, so much so, that I believe the Queen, when she was 
in Scotland, heard him preach, much to the displeasure of 
many a Churchman, who thought it was inadmissible for 
the head of the Church to countenance Presbyterial or- 
dination. To my deep regret I found that Dr. C. was 
absent — his church undergoing repairs. Dr. Harris and 
Rev. Mr. Mellville were also absent. I proceeded, there- 
fore, to the church of Dr. Hamilton. He is, I under- 
stand, a member of the Free Church of Scotland, and 
occupies the pulpit which was built for that erratic 
genius, Edward Irving. The building is large, but by no 
jneans elegant. As T entered I noticed a large silver 



DR. Hamilton's church. 87 

basin in the vestibule, in wliicb tbe worshipers as they 
passed in were depositing money. Stepping up to a gen- 
tleman I asked if a stranger could be accommodated with 
a seat? *' Yes," said he, "go up those stairs," pointing 
to the flight that leads to the gallery. I ascended, but, 
missing the door to the gallery, went up too high, and 
soon found myself in what I supposed was the session 
room. Moving here rather incautiously, I upset one of 
the benches, which, being put together with iron, made 
a terrible clatter in its fall. " Thinks I to myself," I 
will get out of this house as soon as I can, and ask God 
to forgive me for coming in. Passing down, however, 
and finding myself observed by a company that were just 
entering the gallery, I went in with them. After stand- 
ing a little while in the side aisle, a lady who was acting 
as sexton, and who was not very pi'epossessing either in 
person, dress, or manners, came up and asked me if I 
wished a seat; receiving an affirmative reply, she pointed 
me to a backless bench in the aisle, and said, "Sit here 
till I see whether I can find you one." At length she 
beckoned me to a pew which afi"orded me a tolerably-good 
view of both the minister and audience. It was a com- 
munion season. The minister was conducted in due time 
to the pulpit, arrayed in a long black-silk gown. He is a 
tall, well-proportioned man, of coarse features, but pleas- 
ant expression of countenance. His text and discourse 
were appropriate; but so broad was his accent and so low 
his voice, that I could not catch enough to form an idea 
of the current of his thoughts. Now and then I appre- 
hended a sentence which was very pretty. There can be 
no doubt that he is a humble, pious, and eloquent divine; 
such is his reputation here. 

In the afternoon I went to St. Paul's. No sooner had 
T entered than I felt that I was "in a large place." No 
pews here — plain seats without doors: a man may sit 



88 LETTERS FROM EUROPE. 

where he pleases. There was a light railing opposite 
each entrance; within this the congregation were seated; 
outside some were standing, others walking in and a few 
going out. The congregation was immense; I could but 
think of a western camp meeting. Just imagine that at 
some great camp-ground the grass should turn into white 
and black marble slabs, the cope of the sky into a mag- 
nificent historical painting, the thunder into the notes of 
an organ, the trees into piers and arches — their foliage 
into shields, festoons, garlands, and cherubims; the elder 
bushes and other underbrush into caryatid figures; the 
tents into the most magnificent martial statuary; the 
preachers' stand into a choir with stalls of the most ele- 
gant carving; the senior preachers into priests, and the 
junior ones into Clerici Eleemosinarii, clad in their long 

robes; 

" Come thou fount of every blessing," 

into the "Afternoon Service" of the Church — and you 
have St. Paul's Cathedral on Sunday afternoon. TTpon 
my honor I felt at home. Arriving late, however, my 
seat was necessarily chosen too far from the pulpit for 
distinct hearing. Rev. Mr. Champney preached a good, 
evangelical, plain discourse, but it was so imperfectly 
heard by me, that it has left no trace upon my memory. 
I understand he is one of the best preachers in London, 
and is particularly popular with young people. 

It was my intention to attend a Wesleyan church in 
the evening, but I mistook the hour of evening service. 

On the succeeding Sabbath I went to hear Dr. Croly in 
the morning. You would have done so, too, reader. 
Would you not? Who that has read either his prose or 
poetry, would leave London without hearing him ? His 
church, called St. Stephen's, Walbrook, is the prettiest 
of all the parish churches built by Sir Christopher Wren; 
internally it presents, when viewed from different points. 



DR. CROLY's CHURCH. 89 

the appearance of a square, a parallelogram, a circle, an 
octagon, etc., and is, at all points, nearly equidistant from 
the pulpit. A lady officiating as sexton, led me very 
politely to a seat. The seats in all the pewed churches 
that I have seen here, are made after the old fashion — 
about as deep and straight as graves. Having enter- 
ed a little too early, I had time to look around me. My 
attention was fixed to a painting of the dead Christ, 
which struck me as equal, if not superior, to any thing 1 
had seen. I gazed till I almost fancied that a fresh 
corpse was before me. I congratulated my taste not a 
little, when I was informed that it was one of Benjamin 
West's best productions. The service was read — not 
chanted; the responses, which were few and scarcely au- 
dible, were led by a clerk who occupied the same desk as 
the reader. The latter was a full-faced, corpulent, gener- 
ous-looking man, who in his personal appearance, his 
fine voice, his emphases, pauses, and tones, reminded me 
of our valued friend, Rev. L. Swormstedt. The serv- 
ices having been completed. Dr. Croly made his appear- 
ance, being led up to the pulpit and shut in by the 
sexton. In size, features, and manners, he is very much 
like Bishop Soule. Time has handled him rudely, and 
grief, occasioned by the recent loss of his beloved daugh- 
ter, has, it is said, apparently hastened very much his 
passage to the tomb. He bears, however, in every move- 
ment the marks of greatness. His sermon was extem- 
pore, and although it was of such a character as a small 
man could not produce, yet it was not a great production. 
One or two things I may notice as peculiar to the 
worship of the English churches that I attended ; the 
people bow or lean forward when the name of Christ 
occurs in the service. The minister is not present, or 
does not appear to be so, during the reading of the 
service. 

8 



90 LETTERS FROM EUROPE. 

In the afternoon I attended Saint Olave^ in the Old 
Jewry, another parish church, and heard a very plain 
sermon, poorly read, on the witness of the Spirit, which 
might well have passed for a Methodist discourse. I 
know not the preacher's name. This church is the least 
elegant and least ornamented of those built by the great 
London architect. 

Leaving Saint Olave I proceeded to City Road Chapel, 
and wandered among its tombs. What Methodist could 
do so without emotion ? for here are the graves of Wes- 
ley, Clarke, Benson, and Watson. Coming out of the 
graveyard I saw a notice on a bulletin that application 

for seats must be made to , Sexton, No. — . 

Thinking to secure a seat betimes, I called upon a Wes- 
leyan minister, living near by, whose acquaintance I had 
made a day or two before, informed him of my desire to 
attend Church at City Road Chapel, and inquired how I 
should secure a seat. He pressed me to stay and take tea 
with him. Yielding to his invitation, I had an opportu- 
nity of enjoying a little English hospitality and witness- 
ing a well-ordered Wesleyan family. At tea my host re- 
marked that he must be excused from accompanying me, 
as he had an appointment to preach that evening at 
Queen-street. What could I do but offer to attend him? 
So after tea we set out together to walk to Queen-street — 
a distance of two miles or more. On our way we passed 
Smithfield, where the martyrs were burned, a place of 
more intense historic interest to me than any that I had 
ever seen. My heart was moved as I saw the prison, and 
stood over the spot where the fires were lighted up that 
still illuminate this Protestant land. We also passed 
Gray's Inn, a chamber for lawyers, receiving its name 
from Lord Gray, and entered by a narrow passage into 
Lincoln's Inn Fields, on the left side of which is Lin- 
coln's Inn, one of the inns of court. This derives its 



QUEEN-STREET CHURCH. 91 

name from the Earl of Lincoln, and consists of several 
sets of chambers, a hall used by the Lord Chancellor, 
and a chapel designed by Inigo Jones. On this square 
is the Royal College of Surgeons. There is a church 
here whose pulpit is occupied by a reverend gentleman of 
fine abilities, but heterodox views. The story is that he 
wrote a book to win Unitarians to the faith, but made so 
many concessions to them that afterward he could not 
consistently be any thing but a Unitarian himself. 
Although he denies the doctrine of depravity, etc., he 
can not be displaced, as false doctrine is intangible. 
There is said to be no discipline for it in the Church of 
England. If, however, a man refuse to bury in due form 
a corpse, even though it be that of a suicide, he can soon 
be deprived of his living; for a dead body is something 
tangible. Fortunately this erratic divine is not likely to 
do any harm; for he preaches to lawyers. After a week's 
observation and experience of human depraviti/, they are 
not likely to disbelieve the doctrine in consequence of an 
hour's reasoning. Moreover, they have too much logic to 
be misled by superficial researches or invalid syllogizing. 

Queen-Sti'eet Church is one of very great size, having 
double galleries all around. Externally it is by no means 
imposing. The front, indeed, is nearly hidden from 
view. The style and furniture inside remind you of the 
large parish churches. It has a vestry, a chancel, etc. 
The pews are woefully deep, and the pulpit awfully high. 
Fancy a great store-box mounted on four rails, and de- 
cently upholstered, and a sort of semicircular ladder, 
with banisters leading up to it. 

Below the pulpit is the desk for the prayer reader, and 
below this that of the clerk who leads the singing. He 
is a ?w'ce-looking man, and in this country would be 
thought very neat. To the choir, which sits in front of 
him, just below the pulpit, he signifies the number of the 



92 LETTERS FROM EUROPE. 

selected tune, by exhibiting a board with large figures in- 
serted into an instrument resembling in shape a common 
flat-iron. He sings somewhat pompously, and with self-satis- 
faction. The music, if I am a judge, was good, and, to 
a considerable extent, swelled by the congregation. The 
sermon was on the providence of Grod. It evinced much 
thought and research, and was abundantly illustrated 
from Scriptural history. The manner was impressive. 
The congregation did not fill the house — indeed, its 
smallness gave rise to the remark that wolves had lately 
made great havoc among the flock at Queen-street. 

The prayers — the same as those of the Established 
Church — are read every Sabbath morning, but not in the 
evening. Why this partiality I did not understand. In 
the introductory service a note was read from three ladies, 
who were personally present with their babes, asking the 
congregation to unite with them, according to a time- 
honored custom, in giving thanks for a safe accouchement. 

The Trustees of this Church are a very hearty-looking 
set of Englishmen. They would, probably, be deemed 
stingy if they did not provide wine in the vestry, and 
would think a preacher more nice than loise if he should 
decline to drink. 

Returning in company with the preacher, I could but 
remark, that while we had some things to learn of the 
Wesleyan Church, they had some to learn of us. As he 
was curious to know what England had to learn from 
America, I instanced our modern style of church build- 
ing, and described to him a Methodist church in Provi- 
dence, Rhode Island, which I think a model. Admitting 
that it was philosophical, he added, "Ah! that may do 
very well for a lechire-room ; but it is not suflSciently 
church-like for Divine worship." How mighty is the 
principle of " association," or, rather, of prejudice ! 
Shortly after the invention of the lightning-rod, a eontro- 



EDITORS RULE AND RIGG. 9S 

versy arose as to whether the rod should terminate in a 
point or a knob. Doctor Franklin contended for the 
point, and all who took sides with him were charged with 
favoring the American Revolution. The subject was 
brought before the King, who spoke to Sir J. Pringle, 
President of the Royal Society, to put down the points. 
He replied that his prerogatives did not extend to the 
laws of nature. The King being displeased with his 
reply, plotted his displacement, and secured the election 
of Sir J. Banks in his stead. 

During the week following I became acquainted with 
many of the ministers; with none of whom was I better 
pleased than with Rev. Mr. Rule, one of the editors of 
the Wesleyan Magazine, and Mr. Rigg, the editor of the 
Watchman; both of them are perfect English gentlemen, 
and both, I believe, sympathize strongly with the United 
States — the latter particularly. I received an intimation 
at the tea-table of the former that I should be invited to 
the pulpit on the next Lord's day; but I was off for 
Portsmouth before it came — not, however, because I de- 
sired to avoid the pulpit. 



94 LETTERS FROM EUROPE 



THE BRITISH MUSEUM. 

THE stranger wlio comes to this city should furnisli 
himself with a map of it. This he can readily do, as 
there are several city maps published — all reliable, all 
cheap, and put up in a narrow compass. By studying 
the map, a stranger may save himself many a long walk, 
for the streets, as you know, are very irregular — in many 
parts a perfect labyrinth. If one's stay here be short, he 
should provide himself with a small pamphlet, published 
at sixpence, and entitled, "A Week in London, or how 
to View the Metropolis in Six Days." This will be a 
good guide to the chief objects of attraction, including 
national establishments, exhibitions, etc. If his stay be 
longer, he-may provide himself to advantage with Bohn's 
large Hand-Book of London. Without any aids of this 
kind, however, a stranger may find his way in London by 
the politeness of its police, who are the best-looking, 
most civil, and intelligent set of officers I have ever met 
^ith. I can walk about here at midnight as at midday, 
with a sense of security that I scarcely feel in any other 
city; because I can go no where without being within 
the beat of a vigilant officer, who is not only ready but 
cheerful to give me both protection and direction. The 
police are dressed in a neat uniform of blue, and they 
wear white gloves and shining black boots, so that they 
maybe readily distinguished; one is visible from almost 
every point. They assume no airs, they seem to employ 



BRITISH MUSEUM. 95 

no arts ; and yet, I am told, tliey are as well informed 
concerning all the haunts of sin and all the agents of 
iniquity, concerning every stranger and every plot, as 
even the police of Paris, who demand one's passports at 
almost every door he enters, and seem to watch you with 
an eagle's eye and drawn sword from every point. Here 
the stranger feels that he is under civil government — 
there, under martial law; and yet his sense of security, 
as well as his freedom from surveillance, is greater here 
than there. At the Meurice Hotel, in Paris, I was par- 
ticularly charged to lock my door when I left my room, 
and to leave the key with the porter, or rather portress — 
for there, as here, the porter is generally a lady. At the 
London Coffee-House, where I write now, the lock of my 
door is out of repair, so that while I can bolt myself in 
I can not lock the room when I leave it. I mentioned 
the circumstance at the porter's quarters, and asked if it 
was safe to leave my room unlocked: '' 0, perfectly," was 
the reply. 

But for the sights. I did not follow the guide I have 
referred to, for I was determined to mingle business with 
pleasure, turning aside when I had a leisure hour to view 
an object of interest in the region where I happened to 
be. The first public establishment that I visited was the 
British Museum. As you approach the building you are 
struck with a beautiful, lofty iron railing, not less, I 
judge, than twelve feet high. The rails are bronzed 
except at the head, where they are gilt; they repose 
upon massive stone piers and pillars. Behind this railing 
you see the southern front, which exhibits an imposing 
columnar facade of the Ionic order; passing through a 
court-yard you ascend, by twelve stone steps one hundred 
and twenty-five feet in length, a portico formed of a 
double range of columns, eight in each range, on each 
side of which is a smaller range of three columns. On 



96* LETTERS FROM EUROPE. 

the right of this portico, at the east and west angles, are 
projecting wings with columnS; making the columns of 
the whole front forty-four. This front is three hundred 
and seventy feet long. The entire building is a quad- 
rangle, the sides facing the four points of the compass, 
and inclosing a court three hundred and twenty by two 
hundred and forty feet, which is beautifully adorned and 
well cultivated. The bight from the pavement of the 
court-yard to the top of the entablature of the colonnade 
is sixty-six feet. I learn that upon this building about 
three million, five hundred thousand dollars have been 
expended, and it is not yet finished. Passing through 
the portico we enter a magnificent hall, with a ceiling 
elegantly painted in encaustic colors, cofi"ered into square 
compartments of various tints. Around this hall are 
ranged some of the largest specimens of the famous 
Nineveh sculptures, among which the winged lion and 
bull with human heads, at once fix the stranger's eye and 
move his heart. We passed from this hall into the 
various sculpture galleries : 

I. The Egyptian Saloon, within whose lofty walls we 
move through a crowd of Egyptian gods and heroes, and 
ranges of sarcophagi and mummy tombs, all wrought in 
basalt, granite, or syenite, and imposing alike by their 
colossal proportions, their polished smoothness, their 
great antiquity, their hieroglyphic inscriptions, and their 
historical associations. Among them are the head of 
Eameses, the statue of Amenoph, the figure of Bu- 
bastis, and the Rosetta Stone with its triple inscription, 
which afi"orded Dr. Young the key to Egyptian hiero- 
glyphics. 

II. The Phigaleian Saloon, so named because it con- 
tains a series of bass-reliefs which once encircled the 
upper part of the Temple of Apollo at Phigaleia; it con- 
tains, however, besides these, others from Selinus Hali- 



SCULPTURE GALLERIES. 97 

carnassus and various other places, besides casts from the 
Temple of Jupiter Panhelleneus at iEgeria. 

III. The Elgin Saloon, named from Lord Elgin, who 
procured its chief contents, which are fragments of 
sculpture from the Parthenon, or Temple of Minerva, at 
Athens. One of these — the Theseus — has been valued 
at over twenty thousand dollars. Here, too, are models 
of the Parthenon, by Mr. Lucas. 

IV. The Ljcian Saloon, so called because it contains 
the Lycian sculptures discovered by Sir Charles Fellowes 
in 1838, among which are several tombs — reconstructed 
in the manner of the originals — which are supposed to be 
two thousand, four hundred years old. 

V. Not the least interesting is the Nimroud Saloon, 
containing the sculptures procured by Mr. Layard from 
the ruins on the site of ancient Nineveh, and which were 
brought hither at great expense in 1846. They are 
chiefly slabs sculptured in low relief, representing, one a 
lion hunt, another a bull hunt, another a battle scene, 
all in fine preservation. 

VI. Then there is a Townley collection of smaller 
sculptures. 

Ascending the grand staircase we come to, 

I. The Zoological department, where we find specimens 
of birds, beasts, reptiles, fishes, arranged — in wall cases, 
table cases, or on pedestals — according to their genera, 
order, and species, all labeled both with their common 
and scientific names. 

II. The Mineralogical Gallery. This is a range of 
four or five rooms, having an immense number of speci- 
mens arranged systematically, in which God seems to 
open the pages of the world's history. There are speci- 
mens of fossil geology, beginning with fossil botany and 
closing with the ichthyosaurus, plesiosaurus, and mas- 
todon. 

9 



98 LETTERS PROM EUROPE. 

Proceeding westward we reach, 

III. The Department of Antiquities, and pass through, 

1. The Egyptian Room, with its dried mummies, some 
of them having come down from the age of Moses; and 
its frescoes and other curiosities, illustrating the private, 
social, and religious life of one of the most wonderful 
people of ancient times. 

2. The Bronze Room, containing Knight's collection 
of bronzes, illustrating the manners, customs, and worship 
of the ancient Romans. 

3. The Etruscan Room, with its treasures taken from 
Etruscan tombs. 

IV. The Ethnographical Department, which is divided 
into sections, as, 

1. The Chinese, with its glittering images, ivory trink- 
ets, and proud mandarins. 

2. The Hindoo, with its rich dresses, cumbersome 
vessels, and impotent arms. 

3. The Japanese, with its mirrors and music. 

4. The Mexican, with its terra-cotta figures and Aztec 
vases. 

5. The Esquimaux, with its whalebone nets, fur 
dresses, etc. 

I could but feel sorrow as well as joy as I passed 
around. I desired to spend days where I could but spend 
moments. 0, how great are the advantages aflforded by 
such an institution to the youth of a nation ! Hither 
the poorest boy in the kingdom can come and learn more 
of natural history in a day than he might be able to 
learn in a month's study at home. Anatomy, Dr. M'Clel- 
lan used to say, must be studied over the cadaver; so 
Natural History must be studied over the objects with 
which it is concerned. I was pleased to see a multitude 
moving through these galleries. A number of the youth 
without hats attracted my attention by their dress, which 



THE LIBRARY. 99 

consisted of a long blue coat, yellow stockings, tied 
around the knee, and cumbersome shoes with large shoe- 
buckles; I learned that they were "Blue Coat Boys," 
belonging to a school founded by Edward VI, with a 
view to benefit the poor. It has, however, been per- 
verted; for instead of admitting the poor, it admits only 
those whose parents have large sums or leading interests 
at command. 

Returning through the southern portico, we passed 
round to the northern entrance to see the Library. We 
were met by a man in the hall whose duty it is to take 
charge of our umbrellas, canes, cloaks, etc. Here I 
waited a few minutes while my friend, Mr. H., went up 
to see the Librarian and solicit for me admission to the 
different departments. Ascending a flight of stairs, we 
reached two large reading-rooms, one hundred and twenty 
feet long, where there were four or five hundred persons 
engaged in reading, writing, and study, each furnished 
with table, desk, pens, ink, etc., and allowed access to 
any book on the shelves of the library ranged around 
them. Admission to these reading-rooms is by ticket. 
Tickets are obtained easily and without charge, and are 
held by about forty thousand persons at present. From 
this fact you will perceive the immense advantages which 
the public derive from the institution. Many books are 
made here — some, perhaps, by beating out the heavy ore 
of old authors into broad and shining but flimsy leaves. 

We then passed, under the direction of an assistant 
librarian, whom the general librarian was kind enough to 
send for that purpose, first, into the Great Library. As 
we were passing through this apartment we met an aged, 
care-worn, but dignified man. This was Mr. Home, 
author of Home's Introduction, who, my cicerone said, 
was one of the few favored individuals who had access 
to this gallery. The perfect system with which all things 



100 LETTERS FROM EUROPE. 

are conducted here may be seen tlirougli a few state- 
ments. When a book is taken out, a small block of 
wood is inserted in its place, with figures upon its mar- 
gin, that at once indicate where the book is, and by 
whom it was removed, etc. When a book enters the 
library it must pass through the hands of, I think, 
nine different officers before it reaches its place; one 
examines it to see that it is perfect as to binding, 
leaves, etc., and he puts his stamp upon it; another 

examines it with reference to the edition, and if sat- 

> . ... 

isfied he stamps it; another with a view to determine 

its classification, etc. 

From this apartment we passed into the King's Li- 
brary, a lofty and elegant hall, three hundred feet in 
length. In this room the bookcases were more beau- 
tiful, and the bindings more costly than in the G-reat 
Library. Around the walls runs a gallery at mid-hight, 
and through the center a range of table-cases, glazed at 
the top, and covered with green silk blinds sliding on 
wires. In these cases is a choice collection of books, 
manuscripts, autographs, etc., many of which are worth 
far more than their weight in gold. Among them I 
noticed family Bibles of monarchs long since deceased, 
some of which had bindings and clasps equal to any 
thing which can be executed at this day. Then there 
are magnificent atlases, illuminated devices, and auto- 
graphs' of eminent men, such as Calvin, Luther, Melanc- 
thon, Shakspeare, etc. I asked what was paid for the 
little book containing Shakspeare's autograph ? The 
answer was, $500. Another was purchased at $750, but 
it proved to a counterfeit. In this library I saw Mr. 
Macaulay. He was seated at a desk loaded with books, 
writing. The librarian remarked that he enjoys special 
privileges in this department. He has access at all 
times, and is permitted to call for whatever books he 



GRENVILLE LIBRARY. 101 

wants, and to retain them till he has done with them. 
Seated in the center of the King's Library in his com- 
fortable chair, at his ample and richly-freighted table, 
no wonder that he can write history and feel inspiration. 
He is one of the trustees of the museum. 

From the King's Library we passed into the Grrenville 
Library. Here, among other curiosities, I saw Welling- 
ton's schedule drawn up on the field of Waterloo, and Nel- 
son's draft of the battle of the Nile. Keturning from this 
we crossed the King's Library and went into the court, 
where we found temporary appendages to accommodate 
additional books till another building can be erected. 
This reminded me of many farmers in the western coun- 
try, whom God so abundantly blesses with offspring that 
they have to nail up their porches to get additional bed- 
rooms. 

A few facts will convey to you some idea of the mag- 
nitude of this library. They have a set of men called 
dusters, whose business it is to commence at one end 
of the library and proceed dusting the books till they 
reach the opposite end, when they find it time to begin 
again, and thus they keep up an everlasting dusting. 

"Please show me your catalogue," said I. "Cer- 
tainly." When you call for a catalogue of the library 
of Congress, you are presented with a single octavo vol- 
ume. The catalogue of the British Museum is in three 
hundred volumes folio. It is in manuscript. They un- 
dertook once to print it, but got no further than the let- 
ter A before they gave it up, so numerous are the addi- 
tions. 

As we passed through the King's Library we noticed 
glaziers working at the cases. The assistant librarian 
remarked that they had just about finished the glazing 
of this department, which was done by contract for 
thirty-five thousand dollars. Mark, that is simply the 



102 LETTERS FROM EUROPE. 

insertion of the glass — the cases were made long since. 
As I left I was forced to several reflections. How im- 
mense is the service which, one man may do for the 
world ! This institution owes its existence to Sir Hans 
Sloane, an eminent physician of London^ who, going to 
Jamaica as surgeon to the Duke of Albemarle, com- 
menced, during fifteen months of comparative leisure, a 
collection of objects of natural history, which he contin- 
ued to enlarge during the remainder of his life. An 
ample fortune, an enviable reputation, the presidency 
of the Royal Society, and an appointment from the King 
enabled him so to enrich his collection that at his death 
it was worth, together with his books, $250,000. By his 
will he ordered that it should be ofi"ered to the British 
Government for $100,000, as the foundation of a national 
museum. The Grovernment promptly acceded to the 
proposition, and, uniting with the Sloane collection the 
Harlein Library of Manuscripts, given in the reign of 
William III, and the Cottonian collection, made by the 
kings from Henry VIII to George II, removed them to 
Montague House, which it purchased for that purpose. 
I am sorry to say the Government raised the necessary 
funds by lottery. 

The work, having been commenced, progressed rap- 
idly. George II presented the library, which had been 
collected by successive sovereigns, from Henry VIII 
downward. George III presented the splendid library 
of his father, and Lord Grenville his own magnificent 
one. By a statute of George II, which is still in force, 
the museum is supplied with a copy of every book en- 
tered at Stationer's Hall. Till lately this law had fallen 
into neglect; but the present librarian enforces it with 
great strictness, and has brought down upon himself the 
wrath of several important publishing houses by success- 
ful prosecutions which he has brought against them. 



BRITISH ENTERPRISE. 103 

The opposition whicli they have raised against him has 
not effected his removal. One of the advantages of a 
monarchy is, that it can keep an officer in spite of public 
clamor, and will do so when that clamor is the result of 
his faithful discharge of duty. 

Parliament has, from time to time, made munificent 
appropriations for the enlargement of the buildings and 
the enrichment of the stores of the museum. 

In how short a time may a nation do a great work 
when it has a mind to ! The museum was not com- 
menced till 1753. 

How vigorous is the British nation ! No where are 
the marks of decay. Here in this national museum, 
above, and below, and around, are men at work making 
casts, restoring imperfect sculpture, rebinding old books, 
enlarging to make room for additional treasures, just as 
though it was a new thing. 

You must not think, however, that the attention of the 
nation is concentrated upon the British Museum; it is 
only one of many collections. "We have here in London 
and its vicinity a multitude of other and similar institu- 
tions, as the United Service Museum, the East India 
Company's Museum, etc. 

Grand as is the library of the British Museum, it is 
inferior in size to the " Biliotheque Imperiale," which I 
visited at Paris. 



104 LETTERS TROM EUROPE. 



THE THAMES, 

LET me say a word about tlie Thames — nothing new, to 
be sure— but something that may amuse younger 
readers, for whom, chiefly, I promised to write. 

A fine stream is this, for England ; rising, by four riv- 
ulets, in Cotswold hills, it becomes navigable at Lochlade 
for barges, at London for merchant vessels of seven hun- 
dred or eight hundred tuns, and at Deptford for ships of 
war of the largest class. After a course of two hundred 
and thirty miles it mingles with the sea, being affected 
by the tides as far up as Richmond, seventy miles from 
its mouth. At London, sixty miles west from the sea, it 
has a mean width of a quarter of a mile, and an average 
depth, even at ebb tide, of twelve feet. Its northern 
bank, consisting chiefly of gravel, clay, and sand, rises up- 
ward by gentle and graceful slopes, while its southern pre- 
sents a surface uniformly low and level. On the one 
hand it washes Middlesex, on the other Surry; on this 
side it points you to Southwark — the wofld of manufac- 
tures; on the other successively to Westminster, the 
Strand, and the docks — the worlds of fashion, of business, 
and of commerce. Sailing down under the arches of im- 
mense bridges, we are confused by the succession of 
timber-yards, factories, churches, boat-builders' yards^ 
prisons, palaces, towers, monuments, wharfs, mansions, 
gardens, breweries, shot factories, courts, warehouses, flour 



SIGHTS ALONG THE THAMES. 105 

mills, landing quays, steamboat piers, chambers, etc. 
Every object, almost, has historical importance, and 
awakens pleasant or painful memories. Here the Duke 
of Wellington fought a duel; there Canova stood to 
view Waterloo Bridge; yonder Shakspeare went to the 
theater; and there Lady Jane Grey was executed. This 
vast scene is teeming with life. Here go seven rushing 
streams of foot passengers over the bridges, and as many 
counter streams. Side by side rush six currents of wag- 
ons and drays, laden with produce and manufactures. 
Omnibuses roll incessantly through all the streets, and 
outward toward all the neighboring villages; while cabs, 
carriages, and hansoms fill the intermediate spaces. The 
wharves, and warehouses, and quays are swarming; even 
the rigging and masts of the port seem as cheerful as the 
forest in spring. As for the Thames itself, you fancy 
that you are on land as you float down its bosom, which, 
as the poet says, is, 

" Though deep, yet. clear ; though gentle, yet not dull ; 
Strong without rage; without overflowing, full." 

From London Bridge to Gravesend you pass oetween 
shoals of coal ships and trading vessels, and puff along 
through a channel three hundred feet wide, amid a whirl 
of barges, paddle-wheels, and wherries. 

It is computed that from one hundred to one hundred 
and fifty vessels, laden with British, foreign, or colonial 
produce ascend the Thames daily; and as many, freighted 
with manufactures, etc., pass them on their way to the 
sea. Here come Irish brigantines with butter and ham ; 
Scotch clippers with sailcloth and spirits; Northumber- 
land sloops with coal from the Tyne, the Tees, and the 
Weare; Spanish brigs with wines and fruits; Baltic 
schooners with wheat and hemp; East Indiamen and 
Chinamen with the riches of the east; ships from Aus- 



106 LETTERS PROM EUROPE. 

tralia with, copper, wool, and gold; and from the West 
Indies with sugar, molasses, coffee, and rum. Canada 
sends hither her timber; the Mediterranean her drugs 
and spices; Africa her gold and ivory, her palm oil and 
nuts; Greenland her furs and fish; South America her 
dye-woods; Mexico her cochineal and silver; the United 
States her sugar, cotton, tobacco, and grain, etc. Hence 
depart in vessels of all sizes, all the productions of Brit- 
ish soil, genius, and art, under all flags and to all quarters 
of the globe. But here come the steamers to and from 
Hamburg, Dublin, Havre, Lisbon, with their more valua- 
ble cargoes. 

As we are approaching Greenwich we run into some 
wherries and sink them. The brave tars struggle out of 
the waves with horrid imprecations. How many acci- 
dents of this description must the Thames witness every 
day! Happily the river has a magistrate as well as the 
city; the Lord Mayor sways his scepter — by charter from 
Henry VI — over the stream, water, bed, and banks. The 
common council, by a navigation committee, presides 
over the piers and piles; the Trinity Brethren over the 
lights, buoys, and ballast; while harbor-masters take 
soundings, inspect mooring-chains, clear ferries, in-shore 
passages, dock entrances, and public landing-places; pre- 
■ serve an uninterrupted water passage in the middle of 
the stream, three hundred feet across, and superintend 
the movements, and the mooring, and the unmooring of 
the vessels. The river craft, coasters, colliers, and steam- 
ships anchor in the stream and unload in the granaries 
and bonding warehouses on its margin, while the foreign 
and colonial sail vessels find accommodations in the ample 
docks. These docks, eight in number, are surrounded 
with quays, warehouses, sheds, and covered ways, and be- 
girt by lofty walls; the warehouses are furnished with 
cranes, which lift from forty to fifty tuns at a time, and 



THE EXCHANGES. 107 

in St. Katharine's Docks they elevate the goods from the 
vessel to the floor by a single operation. In the London 
Docks the tobacco warehouses alone cover over five acres, 
and the wine cellarage is large enough for sixty-five thou- 
sand pipes; and there is said to be a single wine vault 
having an area of seven acres. The West India Docks, 
it is stated, contained at one time goods worth over 
$100,000,000. Hence the importance of high stone 
walls. The Regent's Canal Dock is used exclusively for 
timber. 

These docks are very costly; the "London Docks" 
alone cost $20,000,000, and the wall around them 
$3,000,000 more. • 

But how do the buyers and sellers manage in this con- 
fusion ? Factors intervene between owners and buyers, 
and meet the latter in markets on regular days with sam- 
ples. These markets are generally called exchanges. 
Thus, there is the Coal Exchange, the Corn Exchange, 
etc. Billingsgate is the fish market, celebrated the world 
over for its vulgar and profane language. 

As you may suppose, one of the most important arti- 
cles of commerce is coal. They say that upward of 
forty thousand persons and five thousand horses are en- 
gaged daily in supplying London with it. They are 
divided into a great number of classes, thus : coal-owners, 
coal-dealers, coal-factors, coal-sifters, coal-whippers, who 
transfer the coal from the colliers to the barges; 
coal-backers, who unload the barges; coal-fillers, who 
load the wagons; coal- wagoners, who drive the teams; 
coal-trimmers, who lay up the coal in the purchaser's 
cellar, etc. 

But we are at Greenwich; let us ascend. Greenwich 
Hospital is before us. It is the home of the British vet- 
eran sailor — a grand home it is. I have to regret, how- 
ever, that at the hour I visited it the apartments were not 



108 LETTERS FROM EUROPE. 

all accessible. I was particularly desirous to see tlie 
inside of the chapel, which, I understand, is very gor- 
geously decorated. We walked about the courts and 
talked with some of the old salts who all seem to carry, 
Nelson in their hearts, and then left for G-reenwich Park. 
It consists chiefly of a hill, that is crowned with that 
important public establishment, the Observatory, which, 
ever since it was founded in 1765, has been of unspeak- 
able service to navigation. The view from the Observa- 
tory, and also from the "One-Tree Hill," is well worth 
coming to see. You may look up and down the Thames 
for miles, and behold such a number and variety of ves- 
sels as the world, I presume, from no other point presents 
to view. There are below you pleasant lawns and leafy- 
shades, and graveled avenues; but these, though prized 
by the cockneys, present no great attractions to an 
American from the gorgeous forests of the west. 

Greenwich is a tolerably-thriving town, situated in 
Kent, five and a half miles from London, and was once 
the seat of a royal palace; it is the birthplace of Queen 
Elizabeth and Queen Mary. Charles II took down the 
old palace, styled Placentia, and erected another, which 
constitutes one wing of the present hospital. 

THE BRIDGES. 

Let us now return to London Bridge, where, leaving 
the boat, we ascend a flight of steps from the water's 
edge. Before we depart let us take a view of the bridges. 
There are seven. It may afi"ord an index to the growth 
of London to remark, that for nearly nine hundred years 
one bridge answered for the city; the remainder of them 
have been added within the last hundred years, most of 
them since 1800. The old London Bridge, by its many 
piers and defenses, nearly dammed up the river. It 
sustained at one time a continued street, and lodged a 



LONDON BRIDGE. 109 

multitude of families, while on the east side, over the 
tenth pier, rose the chapel of St. Thomas, and near the 
Southwark side, flanking a drawbridge, stood a tower, 
upon which, in the olden time, the traitors' heads were 
hung. 

The new London Bridge was commenced in 1825 and 
completed in 1831, at a cost of ten million dollars. It 
consists of five semi-elliptic arches of granite, the central 
one having a span of one hundred and fifty feet; length 
of water-way, six hundred and ninety feet; total length, 
including piers and abutments, nine hundred and twenty 
feet; width of carriage-road, thirty-sis feet; width of 
footpaths, nine feet; total width, including parapet, 
fifty-six feet; hight of carriage-way at the central arch, 
fifty-five feet above low-water mark. As you walk over 
the crowded footpaths, and see the immense wheels roll 
in uninterrupted succession over its deep granite blocks, 
you can scarce feel that you are not on solid land. The 
great Venetian sculptor said it was well worth a journey 
to London from Rome, to see Waterloo Bridge, but Lon- 
don Bridge surpasses it. The city is talking of four 
more bridges; namely, at Charing Cross, St. Paul's, 
Horseferry Road, and Tower Hill. 

THE PARKS. 

Let us now take omnibus for Picadilly and visit some 
of the parks, the "lungs of London," as they have been 
well styled ; reservoirs of pure air, sources of pleasant 
feeling, full of sweet sights, and sounds, and precious 
odors; where poverty and wealth are brought to a level, 
and all rejoice as in the presence of God. Here art 
loves to linger; here age rejuvenates, and sickness recre- 
ates, and business relaxes, and the passions cool, and 
benevolence warms, and science kindles, and philosophy 
smiles, and poetry plumes her wings. Praise God for 



110 LETTERS FROM EUROPE. 

the parks ! There are many of them : G-reen Park, St. 
James's Park, Hyde Park, Regent's Park, Richmond 
Park, Bushy Park. Then there are no less than four 
new parks which have been formed in London since 
1830; Primrose Hill, sixty acres; Kensington Park, 
eighteen acres; Victoria Park, two hundred and sixty- 
five acres; Battersea Park, now forming, three hundred 
and nineteen acres. These recent ones have already cost 
about two million dollars. They are just clearing Bat- 
tersea, for which an appropriation of one hundred and 
twenty thousand dollars has recently been voted. Here 
we are in Hyde Park. How shall I describe it? I will 
not attempt it. Come and see these massive arches, 
these graveled walks, this breezy upland, this imposing 
statuary, this serpentine stream ; these beauteous gardens, 
these majestic trees extending in rows as far as the eye 
can see, these wide, wide spaces of precious, precious 
green, which are enough to make the joyful eyes dance 
in their sockets; these gorgeous mansions and solemn 
temples in the distance, these dazzling carriages, and 
prancing horses, and rejoicing families, in whom beauty, 
and intelligence, and dignity, and virtue, and benevo- 
lence, and pleasure, and religion blend. Good God ! said 
my rising heart reverently, is this earth or heaven? and 
if this be earth, what must heaven be? I well nigh 
leaped for joy — perhaps, unconsciously, I did, as a flock 
of water-fowl rose up on their splendid wings. A walk 
in the Kensington Gardens, and then we take a hansom 
for the Green Park and St. James's. After I took my 
seat I wondered why the driver did not go on. "Why 
don't you drive on ?" " Please, sir, tell me where to go." 
In my enthusiasm I had forgotten to mention the parks, 
supposing the whole creation knew that I did not want 
to see any thing else just then. So I told him, and we 
went jogging on, he laughing, and I too, as we drove to 



PARKS. Ill 

St. James's. Here and in Green Park we saw less of 
nature but more of art. Buckingham Palace and the 
dome of St. Paul's, costly mansions and lofty towers, 
divert the eyes occasionally; the multitude seems greater 
and busier; the scenery more rich but less ample; the 
moving life preponderates over the still ; the metropolis 
is getting the better of you ; philosophy is sobering 
poetry; the muse, however, can still hide herself among 
trees and shrubs, or leap through lawns, or linger and 
love by clear and quiet waters, or look through alleys 
green to lines of living wood, till the military band 
breaks the spell with martial music booming from the 
parade. 

But time would fail to tell of all. One thing let me 
whisper. I did think of Cincinnati, about which we 
are wont to boast. And as that little park on Eighth- 
street was called to mind by contrast, laughter came to 
my relief Why don't they put a peppei'-box in the 
center of it and have a fountain ? But seriously, may we 
not hope that our growing and glorious city may have a 
park! Much as I hate kings, if I were the Queen City 
I would consent to have a king for a year or so, if 
thereby I might get a play-ground for my children. 
Where is some great, good rich man — some merchant 
prince? Let him come forth and buy a park for the 
city, and make nature and man smile around him. He 
shall be blessed; he shall move amid the congratulations 
of those whose minds he has quickened, whose pulses he 
has accelerated, whose sorrows he has assuaged, whose 
senses he has warmed, whose hopes he has inspired, and 
whose families he has refreshed. The widow and the 
fatherless shall rise up to bless him as he passes by, and 
men instinctively shall do him honor. He shall be a 
prince by nature and by consent; a prince in energy, a 
prince in intellect, a prince in bounty. 



112 LETTERS FROM EUROPE. 

And why not villages provide for their refreshment 
while land is cheap? Soon will the forest fall before 
the ax- 



TUNNEL OP THE THAMES. 113 



THE TUNNEL OP THE THAJIES, 

T ET US embark for Wapping to see the Tunnel. Here 
-^ we are : we must ascend the bank by a number of 
steps. Now that we are up, let us pause and look around 
before we go to the shaft. We have descended the river 
about two miles from London Bridge. Opposite are the 
factories, wharfs, and warehouses of Rotherhithe, while 
near at hand are the London, St. Katharine, and India 
Docks. Here lie the vessels that bring the foreign pro- 
duce, and there ride the coasters that convey it to the 
diiferent domestic ports. How shall the goods be con- 
veyed from the one to the other ? A bridge across the 
port is out of the question, a ferry nearly as much so; 
they must be transported by land over London Bridge, 
making the distance over four miles. "How can the 
transit be shortened ?" was the problem to be solved. 
The Tunnel answered : it may be reduced to 1,300 feet. 
To construct this avenue, had been proposed a century or 
more ago, but no company was sufficiently adventurous to 
undertake the work till about the year 1800, when a 
drift wag made from the Surrey side to within two hun- 
dred feet of the opposite bank ; but the river breaking 
in, the undertaking was abandoned. 

Of the work before us the following is a brief history, 
for the outlines of which I am indebted to a distin- 
guished engineer. In many respects instinct has the 
advantage of reason ; the most valuable hints have been 

10 



114 LETTERS PROM EUROPE. 

borrowed from the lower animals. The buflFalo, for ex- 
ample, has tramped out for us the best path over our 
mountains. Mr. Brunei, the architect of the Tunnel, 
derived the hint for the plan by which he accomplished 
his wonderful enterprise, from the ship-worm, a genus 
of Aceplialous Mollusk that bores out tunnels in sunken 
piles, or other submerged timber, throwing out, as it 
progresses, a secretion which renders them water-tight. 
This insect has a sort of shield with an auger-shaped 
extremity. The engineer, in imitation, at first proposed 
to use a cylindrical shield, and by means of an auger- 
shaped bead turning on an axis, to bore his way; but 
when he came to estimate the resistance, he found it 
necessary to adopt an instrument in the rectangular form 
and a different mode of excavation. His plans being 
approved, a company was chartered in 1823 to execute 
them, and the work was commenced in the following 
year. The place of beginning was on the Rotherhithe 
side, one hundred and fifty feet from the bank, where a 
brick cylinder, fifty feet in diameter, with walls three 
feet thick, was built up to the hight of forty-two feet. 
This being surmounted by a steam-engine, by which the 
earth was to be raised, the excavation was commenced. 
As the ground within was removed, the cylinder grad- 
ually sunk — being enlarged by additions above — till it 
reached the depth of sixty-five feet. Within this 
another shaft, twenty-five feet in diameter, was sunk, 
to be a reservoir, for the drainage of water. At the 
depth of eighty feet, a quicksand being reached, the 
ground gave way, and sand and water came up in a vio- 
lent jet. Now, then, could be marked out the Scylla 
and Charybdis of the enterprise. The tunnel must seek 
a proper path between the river above and the quicksand 
below. It was determined to commence the excavation 
of the body of the tunnel at a depth of sixty-three feet, 



BUILDING THE TUNNEL. 115 

and continue it at a declivity of two feet three inches 
per one hundred feet, making the base at the deepest 
part of the river seventy-six feet below low-water mark. 
Thirty-eight feet was agreed upon for the breadth, and 
twenty-two and a half for the hight of the excavation, 
and brick, in Roman cement, for the material of the 
walls. The machinery by which the work was to be done 
was curious. The indications were, to hold up the river 
in its bed, and afford convenient apartments for the 
workmen. They were answered by a shield composed 
of twelve hollow frames placed vertically side by side, 
divided by three horizontal floors into thirty-six cells or 
compartments, and provided with legs, joints, and screws 
for locomotion. The whole was inclosed in a strong 
frame-work. Anteriorly, movable boards protected the 
cells against the earth ; these were removed when the 
workmen were ready to excavate, and replaced when a 
sufficient excavation was made in advance of them. 
When six inches of the ground had been cut away in 
front of a series of cells, the screw was brought into 
requisition, and the cells marched onward upon their 
iron shoes. Posteriorly, the wall was formed above and 
below as fast as the shield advanced, and while it still 
afforded protection to the mechanics, and thus, the 
miners before and the bricklayers behind, slowly moved 
the tunnel forward. Before two hundred and seventy 
feet had been gained, the tide advancing, the river made 
a breach upon the works j but nature, fortunately, came 
to the relief of art, and filled the opening. When sev- 
enty or eighty feet more had been gained, there was a 
fear of another irruption, but the offended stream was 
satisfied with forcing some spare clay violently through 
the cells. Onward went the work, the engineer every 
few days saluting the bosom of the Thames in his div- 
ing-bell, and filling its depressions with bags of clay. At 



118 LETTERS PROM EUROPE. 

length, wlien more than a year's well-rewarded toil had 
been expended, the infuriated river rushed down, filled 
the whole excavation, and nearly captured the workmen 
as they were retreating up the shaft. Mr. Brunei ap- 
peased the river by three thousand bags of clay thrust 
into the aperture, and after two months hard labor, suc- 
ceeded in clearing out the intruding waters and the sand 
and soil which followed them. The works were now 
repaired, and progress was resumed, but with new dis- 
couragements : the offensive sulphureted hydrogen and 
the deadly carbureted, came forward to guard the sub- 
terranean gates; the undaunted engineer animated his 
men, but, powerful and brave as they were, their faces 
often tui'ned pale, their stomachs gave way, their muscles 
relaxed, their brains reeled, and man after man was car- 
ried out as if a corpse. Now and then the mixed gas 
ignited, explosion followed explosion, and the tunnel be- 
came a sheet of flame — as though the three-headed dog, 
Cerberus, had barked the alarm, and Pluto, with all his 
terrors, had come to the rescue. But a Hercules was 
there ; he kept his men in rank, though they labored on 
in fear by day and terrors by night; often crying out 
when deep sleep was upon them, " Water ! water ! wedges 
and straw here I" About three years of toil bi'ought 
them safe to the middle of the river, January, 1828. 
About six months afterward, when they had fairly com- 
menced on the second half of the wonderful substruc- 
tion, the indignant Thames, as if making a last desper- 
ate effort to vindicate his rights, suddenly swelled with 
rage, rushed into the tunnel, dashed out the lights, 
knocked down the workmen, filled up the work, seized 
six struggling victims of his wrath for death, and came 
within an inch of taking captive the junior engineer, 
who was borne by the rush of waters up the shaft, swim- 
ming for his life. Now, which will conquer, the river or 



brunel's efforts. 117 

the engineer? Had Brunei been an ordinary man, the 
struggle would have been over. The stream, as if en- 
dowed with intelligence, had seized a critical moment for 
his attack, for the funds of the company were nearly ex- 
hausted. The workmen are disheartened, the public con- 
fidence is destroyed, and, with singular unanimity, from 
John O'Groat's House to Land's End, the scheme is 
A^oted du failure. Steady and strong was that brave- 
hearted engineer. He visited the river in his diving- 
bell, measured its open mouth, and formed his plan. 
"I'll fill the rent with four thousand tuns of clay, clear 
out the tunnel, block up the shield, wall up the ends of 
the archways, and 'bide my time.'" For seven success- 
ive summers and winters his ears were stunned with the 
cry of ''failure," and his mind was perplexed with a 
thousand plans that silly schemers volunteered to send 
in to the directory, while the proud stream seemed hold- 
ing jubilee. At length the Government, yielding to re- 
peated solicitations, came to his aid, and he resumed the 
work January, 1835. But to the natural difficulties, 
there were now many which delay had superinduced. 
By the percolation of the water, the ground in advance 
of the shield having been reduced to a semi-fluid state, 
it was necessary to form an artificial bed in the river, and 
bring it into the place of the natural soil before the ex- 
cavation could proceed with safety. So that for a consid- 
erable time the advance did not measure, upon an aver- 
age, four inches a week. 

As they drew nearer to the opposite shore, the Thames 
called all the neighboring land springs to his aid, and 
they came rushing upon the miners. To arrest them in 
their march it was necessary to sink a deep shaft upon 
the Wapping side of the stream. A greater diflSculty is 
now announced : the shield is giving way — a new one 
must be substituted. "Impossible!" cries the fool. 



118 LETTERS FROM EUROPE, 

"Impossible!" cries the philosopher, too. But, while 
the whole community were declaring the impossihiliti/, 
the engineer was demonstrating the possibility, though at 
an expense which brought upon him a still more serious 
embarrassment; for the Lords of the Treasury, alarmed 
for the public purse, declined any further advances for 
the Tunnel. Mr. Brunei must turn politician, and bring 
the treasury round through the house of commons, before 
the work can once more go forward. Parliament being 
propitious, again the engineer is moving in his subterra- 
nean passage; but erelong a hollow roar of waters rush- 
ing through the shield, announces another cavity, and 
the workmen retreat before the advancing waves, that 
run up the arch at the rate of a million gallons a minute; 
another irruption, attended by death, and still another 
occurred before the opposite shore was reached. 

And now the bi'ave miners are approaching with good 
heart the opposite bank; every stroke tells, and public 
confidence begins to smile upon the laboi". The river is 
defeated; but lo ! another enemy comes unexpectedly 
into the field. Terra gives her aid to the child of Ocea- 
nus. In April, 1840, at a sudden burst of infernal artil- 
lery, forth rush 6,000 cubic feet of clay through the 
shield, knocking the men out of the cells, extinguishing 
the lights, and spreading a panic all around. The alarm 
is overcome, the laborers are i-allied, the lights are rekin- 
dled, and, with almost superhuman exertion, the invading 
force is arrested. Meanwhile, Neptune seems to strike 
the earth with his trident; for the ground upon the 
shore, to which the tunnel was approaching, gave way, 
leaving a cavity thirty feet in diameter and thirteen feet 
deep, which, had it not been filled before the return of 
the tide, would have let the river with full force into the 
works. 

At length, August 13, 1841, the engineer passed in 



FIRST OPENING OF THE TUNNEL. 119 

triumpli down the Wapping shaft, and, entering the 
tunnel by a small driftway, marched over to Rother- 
hithe — victor over earth, and air, and fire, and water. 
He is now Sir Mark Isambert Brunei; but he needs no 
title to render him illustrious. Much, however, is yet to 
be done : the work must be finished, the shield removed, 
the shafts cleared, the staircases built, and machinery for 
permanent drainage constructed. All this could not be 
accomplished till March 25, 1843, when the tunnel was 
opened. The land spring waters are conveyed by con- 
duits in the brick work round the arches to a tank, 
whence they are pumped through a duct, by a steam- 
engine, into the river. But let us enter. Our approach 
is by the Wapping shaft. Here we are in its first story. 
I had pictured to myself a long, dark cavern, and had 
conjured up the gloomy thoughts inspired by the fabled 
descent of ^neas into hell: 

"non vultus, non color unus, 

Non comptse mansere comse ; sed pectus anhelum 

Gelidus Teucris per dura cucurrit 

Ossa tremor." 

But how different! how beautiful! Look up and 
around this first story of the shaft. The wall is divided 
by pilasters into compartments, which are adorned with 
rich paintings, representing some of the most interesting 
objects in British scenery — such as "Windsor Castle and 
Osborne House. Look down, and you see on the right a 
staircase of about a hundred steps, for descending pas- 
sengers, and on the left a staircase for ascending ones. 
Below is a company of musicians playing delicious airs, 
which might provoke one to dance. Moving down, we 
come to two parallel archways, 1,200 feet long, 14 feet 
wide, and 17 feet high, each affording a carriage road 
and footpaths, the intermediate wall being pierced at in- 
tervals of eighteen feet for connecting arches. The 



120 LETTERS FROM EUROPE. 

wtole is lighted witli gas, and brilliant as a bazar; all 
the way along are stalls filled with all sorts of trinkets, 
paintings, and toys, intermingled with a few articles of 
more value. As we draw near the other shaft we hear 
another band of musicians softening the air, which, 
coming down the windward shaft — as the sailor would 
say — passes out at the leeward, always keeping the sub- 
terranean passage fresh. Ascending by over a hundred 
steps, we reach the topmost story of the Rotherhithe 
shaft, which is as well adorned as its fellow. A little 
rest and refreshment, and then we return — pausing a few 
moments, on our way back, to purchase some articles as 
mementoes. We passed out, shouting in our hearts, 
''Huzza for Brunei!" And, truly, he is worthy of a 
shout. Fulton constructed his boat without any previous 
failure to discourage him. Brunei sunk his shaft with 
Vesey's fearful defeat in full view. Paxton raised the 
Crystal Palace without a model, and, truly, it is one of 
the seven wonders of the world — like a mountain of crys- 
tal flashing in the sun; but he wrought on solid earth, 
and in his native air, and under the smiles of open 
heaven. Brunei burrowed his way between quicksands 
below, and waters above, breathing the mephitic gases' 
exhaled from the damp cavern, and with no light but 
from his flickering lamps. 

There is something grand in the thought of a Roman 
legion marching up to the enemy's walls under their 
shields upraised to protect their heads from the descend- 
ing missiles of the foe, but how much more grand that 
platoon of miners, advancing through the earth under 
the shield which bears up a river and its bed ! 

It is easy to labor and endure while we hope for re- 
ward. Leonidas dying at Thermopylae, anticipated the 
tomb and epitaph which history gives him. Brunei toiled 
and endured in the face of repeated discouragements, 



MAIN OBJECT OF THE TUNNEL. 121 

though he knew that defeat and death in his enterprise 
would cover his name with silence or shame. Physical 
difficulties are nothing to moral ones. Picture to your- 
self that brave man, while his work was blocked up, en- 
during the taunts of the directors, the reproaches of the 
stockholders, the buffoonery of jesters, the sneers of pol- 
iticians, the desertion of friends, and the scorn of a mill- 
ion of silly fingers pointing at him for seven successive 
years. Does he still hold on? Yes, and ^aio;- too ; God 
bless him ! In his history we have the history of science, 
of truth, of religion — yea, of many a good man, too. 
Such a one struggles on in darkness, against unbelief, and 
despair, and hatred, bearing up a world under his shield of 
faith, burrowing his way against not merely external ele- 
ments, but the very elements of his own nature, and con- 
tending with unseen foes and man's dread frown. Hail, 
friend! Persevere, and you shall reach the light. 

The main object for which the Tunnel was constructed 
is not yet accomplished. The original plan embraced 
another shaft on each side, two hundred feet in diameter 
and sixty in depth, containing a road forty feet wide, and 
of easy slope, so as to afford access to wagons. Whether 
this will be effected or not, who shall say? It would cost 
little short of a million dollars. The receipts from foot 
passengers are, however, encouraging. 

11 



122 LETTERS FROM EUROPE. 



tiitx ixttH\\t\. 



HAVING- had an invitation to dine with a friend at 
Twickenham, and desiring to see something of the 
country, I took the railroad one day at Waterloo Bridge, 
and procuring a ticket for Hampton Court, was soon set 
down in the palace gates. Entering, I wandered for 
hours, reminded, now of Cardinal Woolsey, then of his 
jealous master, and that master's unfortunate wives and 
memorable children, whose court ceremonies were held 
within these walls, and anon of their successors — some 
illustrious and some disgraceful. Here James held his 
religious conference, in which the silly old monarch was 
thought by the bishops to speak by the Spirit of God, be- 
cause he spoke on their side. Here Shakspeare performed 
on the boards for the royal pleasure; here Cromwell re- 
joiced, and here too he wept; here William impressed his 
taste on the buildings and the grounds ; here Anne walked 
in state and the Georges took their rambles and enjoyed 
their pleasures, not always lawful. The quadrangles look 
antiquated, and the courts and halls are kept in the 
finest order. The state-rooms are magnificent, containing 
more than a thousand paintings, among which are the 
Cartoons of Rafi"aelle. From difi'erent points you may 
look out upon flower-gardens, lawns, parks, groves, ar- 
cades, alleys, and alluring vistas. 

After a turn or two in the "wilderness and the maze," 
taking carriage in Bushy Park, and driving down the 
renowned Chestnut Avenue, we turned toward Twicken- 



VISIT TO A FRIEND. 123 

ham, stopping on the way at the site of Pope's residence 
and grotto, where the elegant and accurate English poet 
wrote his most charming and harmonious verses, held his 
most interesting conversations, and breathed his last. 
A hundred years and more have swept away all traces 
of his immortal villa, but his song is more known than 
ever, and his name more honored. It was my intention 
to cut a twig of his weeping willow — the one I suppose 
which first grew in England, having been sent to the 
poet from Asia in a basket of figs. We stopped also at 
Strawberry Hill, formerly the residence of that polite, 
facetious literary hermit, Horace Walpole. Next we 
drove on to the residence of the ex-king of France. 
After walking around the premises, we proceeded to the 
mansion of our host. He is one of the English gentry; 
his house is a large and somewhat elegant structure, 
well finished and furnished; it stands in the midst of a 
plat of eight or ten acres of ground, surrounded by a 
high stone wall, and divided into several apartments. 
The land is all under high cultivation. Here are flowers 
exhaling their odors; there fruit-trees loaded with de- 
licious burdens; yonder, vines blushing with the grape; 
here, shrubs scenting the air. Pass through a gate in 
the rear, and you find a stable, cow-house, aviary, kennel, 
and the rabbit-burrows, all occupied by the choicest 
tenants. 

You may suppose that we feasted. So we did, on fish 
and flesh, vegetables and pastry, fruit and wines. How- 
ever, my host — a perfect gentleman — complained that I 
did not do justice to his table, more especially to his 
bottles, and gently hinted at American temperance fanat- 
icism. After refreshments he pointed out from his 
piazza the residence of Colonel Peel, brother of Sir 
Kobert, and Mr. Tennyson, the English poet, who had 
the reputation among the good people of Twickenham 



124 LETTERS FROM EUROPE. 

of being a good neighbor and a clever man. He is, as 
you know, the poet-laureate, and a pensioner upon the 
Grovernment. On setting out he suffered a severe scath- 
ing froia the Edinburgh Review, but he has survived it. 
One of his smaller works seems to have been of more 
service to him than his more ambitious ones, as, by 
attracting and pleasing the Queen, it procured his pen- 
sion and led to his election as poet-laureate. His ode on 
the Six Hundred seems to be severely criticised, but it 
will live. A gentleman the other day took it up in 
company, saying, ''See what nonsense Tennyson has been 
writing about the cavalry charge." " Please read it to 
us." So he did, and in reading he moved his hearers 
deeply, and himself so much that he could scarce con- 
elude. 

The village of Twickenham is pleasantly situated, and 
consists chiefly of a street on the bank of the Thames 
nearly parallel with the stream. It is about ten miles 
from London. Its church contains the remains both of 
Pope and his parents. 

RICHMOND. 

My return was through Richmond, which is about two 
miles nearer London, and is also on the Thames, its prin- 
cipal street being on the slope and summit of a hill that 
rises from the river bank. It is pleasantly situated, and 
is celebrated as the seat, for centuries, of a royal palace, 
but still more so for the tomb of Thomson, the poet of 
the seasons — the poet of nature — whose animated por- 
traiture and glowing description has perhaps never been 
surpassed. He communed with nature till he imbibed 
her freshness and fragrance, and his mind, like the 
country of the Somawlies, became the native region of 
incense, gum, and sweet-smelling spices. Pity that his 
writings, so full of God, should be so empty of Christ ! 



SYDENHAM. 125 

This was not owing to infidelity, surely, for we have 
reason to believe that the Christian revelation molded 
his virtuous habits, inspired his benevolent disposition, 
and animated his hopes of a "better country." We can 
hardly visit the tomb of such a man without being made 
better, unless indeed we are ignorant of his merits. An 
uneducated mind is like a country that has no good 
harbors. It can hold but little intercourse with the 
world, and gradually grows fierce and hostile to strangers, 
even when they surround it with gold and good will. 

Richmond is the site of the Wesleyan Theological 
Seminary, which I would have visited had not its exer- 
cises been suspended at the time in consequence of the 
absence of its principal instructors at conference. 

SYDENHAM, 

The seat of the Crystal Palace. " Did you go there ?" 
Of course I did. Rising betimes, I devoted a whole day 
to that purpose. By the way, the English are not early 
risers; notwithstanding the satires of Franklin and the 
poem of Cowper, Londoners love to linger long at the 
couch : 

" The lark is gay 
That dries his feathers, saturate with dew, 
Beneath the rosy cloud, while yet the beam 
Of day-spring overshoots his humble nest. 
The peasant too, a witness of his song, 
Himself a songster, is as gay as he ; 
But save me fi»m the gayety of those 
Whose headaches nail them to a noonday bed." 

The country around Sydenham is most enchanting. I 
have often wondered why English poets should excel all 
others in descriptions of natural scenery, although their 
sky is so generally overcast, their atmosphere so humid, 
and their winters so gloomy that most of their business 
between autumn and spring must be done by gaslight. 



126 LETTERS PROM EUROPE, 

Often have I pondered the words of the poet Sliakspeare 
in Henry V : 

" Why have they this mettle ? 
Is not their climate foggy, raw, and dull, 
On whom, as in despite, the sun looks pale, 
Killing their fruit with frowns? Can sodden water, 
A drench for surreined jades, their barley broth 
Decoct their cold blood to such valiant heat? 
And shall our quick blood spirited with wine 
Seem frosty?" 

But when I come to cast my eyes on their velvet lawns, 
their quadrants of yews and circles of elms, their haw- 
thorn hedges, and the superb vistas of their parks, I can 
understand it. 

I was less struck than I supposed I should be, in 
England, with the contrast between wealth and poverty, 
the cottage of the poor and the palace of the rich, the 
beggar on crutches and the prince on silver wheels. 
There is contrast enough, to be sure — more, doubtless, 
than a stranger would be likely to see, but less, I really 
think, than existed ten or twenty years ago. Indeed, 
laboring men are doing well, if they are industrious and 
attentive; and when we compare rent, price of provi- 
sions, taxes, and wages in England and in this country, 
at present, we can see but little if any motive for English 
mechanics to emigrate hither, unless it be with a view to 
gain a wider sphere for their children. More suffering 
there must be in old countries than in new, arising from 
the greater proportion of sick and disabled persons. 
After all, the inequalities of wealth, like the irregulari- 
ties of the earth's surface, may be of great benefit, if 
only there be liberty for all. Mountains temper the air 
of the tropics, diversify productions, and hold veins of 
gold and springs of water. Poverty is often the nurse 
of genius, even of genius that comes forth to the world 
in golden robes. As with the rivers of eastern Africa, 



THE CRYSTAL PALACE. 127 

SO with the rivers of human thought — the lower courses 
only have been explored ; we know not in what deserts 
they have originated. 

The Palace on Penge Hill I shall not attempt to de- 
scribe, since it has been so often and eloquently depicted. 
A more graphic description I have never met with than 
the following, which I find in the London Quarterly 
Keview : 

" Stretching along a space greater than a building can 
be supposed to fill, up rises a mass whereof the form is 
at first hidden amid flashes, waves, and stars of light; 
yet it evidently has a body, though, like that of the sun, 
concealed in brightness. Is it a ^mountain of light,' a 
sea of glass, a mirage, or a dream ? Gradually pale blue, 
air-colored tints form themselves into bands fringed with 
white, and widely spaced with plates of glass. By these, 
helped by the gentle shade which here and there they 
throw, the eye traces the material center of this solar 
glory. 

''Through grounds where the mammoths of geology 
the finesse of an Italian garden, and the vistas of an 
English park unite, by a walk ninety-two feet wide, you 
approach a terrace faced with noble stone-work, and un- 
sparingly adorned with statuary. Before you, about one- 
third of a mile apart, rise two towers, each in the form 
of a Greek cross, bulkier than a donjon keep, lighter 
than a lantern spire. Inward, for more than a furlong, 
run two parallel wings, flanking with crystal a terrace 
promenade, as much surpassing that of Versailles as it 
surpasses others. Then from a fringe of green sward — 
such swards as out of our own isle you find not — stretch- 
ing all the way between the wings, up rises one long, 
lofty, translucent vault, thrice intersected by transverse 
arches, the center one towering majestically above the 
whole structure. Hitherto you were accustomed to look 



128 LETTERS FROM EUROPE. 

upon Napoleon's air de triumjjJie as the lord of arches; 
but the porch of this transept would receive that with a 
tall oak growing on the top, and the transept itself would 
receive Yorkminster bodily. 

"But the moment you begin to compare this with 
other buildings, the mind resents the attempt. Leave 
them to their glory. This is not as they; bulbs are not 
compared with flowers, quadrupeds with birds, or snow- 
wreaths with rainbows. This leaves to both nature and 
art all the beauty they had before, but rises up to rejoice 
with a new joy. As it stands there, inside and out dis- 
played together — wings, facade, towers, domes, terraces, 
and flags ; the far end of transepts showing through the 
shiny walls; without, sheen ; within, lightsome columns, 
crossing arches, statues, spiral staircases, moving human 
forms, net-works of pillars and girders — the impression 
of the immense, the beautiful, and the new is perfectly 
overwhelming." 

My feet were well worn in wandering amid the 
courts, ascending the staircases, traversing the galle- 
ries, and promenading the terraces, and my eyes well 
wearied in gazing at the wonders of which we have 
often heard. 

There is a saloon for rest and refreshment, of which 
I did not fail to avail myself. Here, seated at table, 
among some youthful gentry, I intended to listen only; 
but I could not help putting in a word. The conver- 
sation turned on the war. The fear was expressed that 
if it continued long the United States might be in- 
volved. 

"I hope the United States has more wisdom and virtue 
than to intermeddle in European wars." 

" If they have not, we shall soon give them a thrash- 
ing." 

" Ah, indeed, it is very remarkable that you have 



JOHN BULL AND BROTHER JONATHAN. 129 

nover done so, when your opportunities were far better 
than they ever will be !" 

"0, that was on your own soil, and in a war that we 
carried on without much interest, and, in part, with hired 
soldiers, who knew nothing of the country; but you 
could not compete with us on the ocean. You have not 
the machinery nor the science necessary." 

"It is very remarkable that in the last war we beat 
you on your own element. As to invention, we yield to 
no people on earth. We make cudgels out of gum- 
elastic; and when we shall have used up the timber of 
our little park between the Atlantic and the Pacific, I 
suppose we shall make ships out of saw-dust." 

*' Ah, you beat us with English and Irish sailors." 

"Well, we have some of them left; but the Yankee 
sailors are not in need of their aid." 

"Ah," said an old merchant, "do not talk of quarrel- 
ing with the United States; it would be madness; they 
are our own people; our interests are one; and our 
prayer should be for perpetual peace and increasing 
intercourse with them." 

" You are a scientific people, a religious people, a great 
people. All this we learn in this Crystal Palace. But 
you are a very haughty and arrogant people." 

"Ah," said the old gentleman, "pride and arrogance 
often attend greatness. Beware you do not contract them 
yourselves." 

" Such feelings are incompatible with our genius. 
Dean Swift said he hated mankind, though he loved a 
few individuals, as Peter, James, and John. Pope re- 
plied that he loved human nature, but hated a few indi- 
viduals. Bishop Warburton says we have need of grace 
not to hate both. Now, we have no sympathy with such 
philosophers; but, admitting all men to a participation 
of our blessings, we learn to respect and love all the 



130 LETTERS FROM EUROPE. 

world, and, as Greneral Taylor said, ' all the rest of man- 
kind.' " 

"You have not any negroes there?" 
^ My coflFee was out, and, my shoe pinching a little, I 
started for the terrace. 



LONDON TOWEE. 131 



LONDON TOWER, 

I INTENDED to write letters on the following subjects; 
namely, British Institution, National Gallery, Royal 
Academy, Vernon Gallery, Hampton Court, Zoological 
Gardens, in all of which I spent hours of delightful in- 
terest; but fearing that I may grow tedious, I throw 
aside my notes. Let me, however, record my gratitude 
to God that he permitted my eyes to behold some of the 
works of those great masters, Francia, Van Eyck, Leon- 
ardo da Vinci, Michael Angelo, Raffaelle, Titian, Cor- 
reggio, Gorgione, Sebastian del Piombo, Bassano, Paul 
Veronese, Mazzolino da Ferrara, Rubens, Vandyk, Rem- 
brandt, Claude Lorraine, the Carracci, the Poussins, Mu- 
rillo. West, and Lawrence — who nobly represent the 
Roman, Bolognese, Venetian, Paduan, Flemish, Dutch, 
French, and English schools of painting. Raffaelle's 
cartoons seemed to give visibility to things not seen, 
and substance to things hoped for. Francia's Dead 
Christ, with his head reposing on his mother's lap, while 
angels hover over his face and feet, 

" Dissolves the heart in tenderness, 
And melts the eyes to tears." 

But where shall I stop if I begin ? May He who in- 
spired Bezaleel and Aholiab, and who inspired Raffaelle 
and Michael Angelo, inspire others also ! 

Let us not leave London without a word or two about 
the Tower. The finest view of it is from the Thames, 



132 LETTERS FROM EUROPE. 

on wtose left bank it stands, half a mile below London 
Bridge ; it occupies a quadrangle of over twelve acres, 
wbicli, says tradition, was once a fort of tbe Britons, 
afterward a citadel of the Romans; it is surrounded by a- 
moat half a mile in exterior circumference, which for- 
merly received the water of the stream, but has latterly 
been railed in, and kept dry, from considerations of pub- 
lic health. Descending Tower Hill we come to a ticket- 
office; in connection with this is a hall where visitors 
may obtain refreshment, and wait till a company of ten 
or twelve has assembled, when a warder, in the fantastic 
uniform of the time of Henry VIII, conducts them 
through the buildings and grounds. Entering by the 
Middle Tower, we cross the moat on a bridge ; and pass- 
ing through the Byward Tower, we find ourselves in an 
avenue between the inner and outer walls, where for- 
merly stood the buildings of the Royal Mint. Near the 
wharf, on the south, is St. Thomas Tower and the Trait- 
or's Gate, through which, in former days, the state pris- 
oners were conducted ; farther east, still on our right, 
are the remains of the Well Tower, and "Tower leading 
to the iron gate." From this point, turning northward, 
and then westward, we pass successively the bastions 
that defend the north-eastern and north-western angles 
of the outer ballium. Passing round to the southern 
side, we gain admittance within the inner wall through 
the Bloody Tower, in which the royal infants, Edward V 
and Richard, Duke of York, were smothered by order 
of that monster, Richard III. Close by is the Record 
Tower, where, from the earliest Norman times, the rec- 
ords of the nation have been kept, and where the York- 
ists were imprisoned after Margaret's victory at Wake- 
field. Turning now to the west, we see on the right a 
grove, in which a regiment of soldiers are on drill, and 
on the left the Grovernor's house, a building dating in 



HISTORICAL REMINISCENCES. 133 

the reign of Henry VIII, and containing the council 
chamber where those engaged in the "Gunpowder Plot" 
were examined. At the south-west angle we come to the 
Bell Tower, which suspends the garrison alarm-bell, and 
is celebrated as the prison-house of that brave old Bishop 
of Rochester who persisted in denying the legality of 
Henry VIII's divorce even to death. Proceeding north- 
ward, we pass, on our left, the Beaucham,p Tower, with 
walls fifteen feet thick, the prison of Thomas de Beau- 
champ in the reign of Richard II. As we proceed we 
pass the Church of St. Peter ad Vincula on the right. 
Arriving at the north-west angle, we find the Devereux 
Tower, suggestive of a crowd of painful recollections. 
Who can forget the generosity, the dignity, the bravery, 
the rashness, and the ruin of Elizabeth's great favorite; 
the meanness and perfidy of his bosom friend; the strug- 
gles between revenge and love in the breast of the Queen 
over her doomed friend; the history of that ring; the 
death-bed confession of Lady Howard; the violence of 
her sovereign, who shook the dying Countess in her bed, 
screaming, " God may forgive you — I never can !" and 
the gloom which thenceforward settled down upon that 
sovereign's great but guilty soul ? How vivid these 
things, as we view the room where Essex pined, and the 
spot where, in the fullness and freshness of manhood, he 
was led as a beast to the slaughter ! Facing, now, the 
east, we advance, passing on the right the barracks and 
on the left the Little Hell or Flint Tower; the Bowyer 
Tower, formerly the residence of the provider of the 
king's bows, and in one of whose apartments the idle 
and cruel Edward IV, on a frivolous pretense, ordered 
his brother, the Duke of Clarence, to be drowned; and 
the Brick Tower, where the beautiful, the beloved, the 
good, the accomplished, the unfortunate Lady Jane Grey 
found her last earthly home, and from which she soon 



134 LETTERS FROM EUROPE, 

passed to her heavenly. Through that window she could 
see the palace in which she had been hailed as queen 
amid the rejoicings of the metropolis; through the same 
dungeon- window she bade farewell to her young, inno- 
cent, and loving husband as he passed to execution, and 
soon after saw his headless body, wrapped in a linen 
cloth dripping with blood, conveyed to the chapel; 
through that door she herself passed to the block, say- 
ing, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit I" 

A few steps more bring us to the north -eastern angle, 
where we find the Jewel or Martin Tower, in which the 
jewels of the crown were formerly kept, and where, 
too, many a state prisoner has pined. Turning to the 
south, we pass successively the Constable Tower^ the 
Broad Arrow Tower, and the Salt Tower — all gloomy 
prison lodgings — the last situated in the south-east 
angle. Facing the west, we now pass by the ordinance 
office, which occupies in part the site of the old palace — 
a royal residence till the time of James II. 

Having surveyed all the smaller towers of the inner 
ward, we approach the Horse Armory, which is built on 
the south side of the Citadel or White Tower. Before 
we enter let us look at the collection of cannon outside. 
Here are trophies of victory from Vigo, and Cherborg, 
and China; here are guns rescued from the sea, one 
of them from the wreck of the " Mary Rose," after hav- 
ing lain in the water for three hundred years; here are 
cannon curious from their construction, being made of 
welded iron bars girded with hoops. The Horse Armory 
is a modern building; its windows are of stained glass, 
its ceilings and walls are decorated with military em- 
blems, and its center is occupied with equestrian stat- 
uary, clad in armor, and holding weapons, chronologically 
arranged, from the reign of Edward I to that of James 
n. The horses — advancing from pointed arches and 



ARMOR AND STATUARY. 135 

fronted by men-at-arms — generally uprearing for battle, 
and the knights with spurs in side and lance in rest. 
One can hardly pass along without feeling his nostrils 
dilating, and, like the war-horse, snuffing the battle from 
afar. 

" Gallops the major along the front : 
' Halt !' 
And fettered they stand at the stark command, 
And the warriors, silent, halt." 

Under the windows opposite the figures, arranged in 
glass cases, is an immense variety of arms and armor, 
preserved for their antiquity: among them, British bat- 
tle-axes from the field of Hastings, pellets of Arcadian 
slingers from the fortress of Samos, a Saxon dagger of 
the time of John, a suit of Greek armor found in a tomb 
at Cumse, and a carved horn with a portrait of John So- 
bieski — bravest among the brave. The warder points 
out the figures as we proceed : Edward I, drawing his 
sword, which almost makes one sing ont, 

" Scots wha ha' wi' Wallace bled !" 

Henry VI; Edward IV, his housing adorned with the 
white rose and sun; Richard III; out, you iron-ribbed 
rascal ! 

" Sound drums and trumpets boldly and cheerfully I 
God and St. George, Richmond and victory !" 

Henry VII, with sword in hand and battle-ax at saddle 
bow: 

" Advance your standards, draw your willing swords." 

Henry VIII, his martel de fer upraised, as if to beat 
the Pope's brains out for not countenancing his adultery. 
Villain ! Your armor can not protect you from the lance 
of virtuous indignation : 

"For he is naked, though locked up in steel, 
Whose conscience with injustice is corrupted." 



136 LETTERS EROM EUROPE. 

Charles Brandon, Earl of Suffolk, tte handsome, valiant, 
courteous knight, that won fair lady at St. Denys; Ed- 
ward Clinton; Francis Hastings; Robert Dudley; Sir 
Henry Lee ; Robert Devereux ; Sir Horace Yere, Cap- 
tain-General; Thomas Howard, Earl of Arundel, with 
uplifted mace; Henry, Prince of Wales, with rapier in 
hand; Prince Charles, afterward Charles I: 

"Who then caused the strife 
That crimsoned Naseby's field and Marston Moor ? 
It was the Stuart : so the Stuart fell, 
A victim in the pit himself had digged." 

Villiers, Duke of Buckingham, holding a wheel-lock 
petronel; Wentworth, Earl of Strafford — great man — sad 
fate. Yes! we remember your closing words : ^'And so, 
with all tranquillity of mind, I freely submit myself to 
your judgment; and whether that judgment be of life 
or death, Te Deum laudimus." George Monk, a General 
of the Commonwealth, and the restorer of monarchy, to 
whom the sagacious Cromwell wrote, " There be that tell 
me that there is a certain cunning fellow in Scotland 
called George Monk, who is said to lie in wait there to 
introduce Charles Stuart. I pray you use your diligence 
to apprehend him and send him up to me." James II; 
since whose time men, having grown wiser in the art of 
war, began to lay aside their armor, except helmet and 
cuirass, which are still worn. We must pass by a multi- 
tude of arms and trophies, for we are now going into a 
room adjoining Queen Elizabeth's Armory. As we pass 
up stairs we see figures on pedestals and martial relics 
of antiquity. The apartment is divided by pillars into 
various compartments for the convenience of classifica- 
tion. Here I noticed cannon captured at Waterloo ; 
kettle-drums, at Blenheim ; brass guns, at Quebec ; the 
cloak upon which General Wolfe lay down to die; and 
the suit of chain mail in which Bajazet rose up to fight; 



QUEEN Elizabeth's armory. 137 

and long lines of implements of death and defense from 
Asia, Africa, and the islands of the sea. The walls and 
ceiling are ornamented with geometrical figures and 
pilasters made of weapons. We have now arrived at 
Queen Elizabeth's armory, so called from a figure at one 
end, representing the Queen arrayed in her robes, pro- 
ceeding in state to celebrate her triumph over the Span- 
ish Armada. Here we find a still greater assortment of 
weapons of war. One or two I will notice for the sake 
of their names. Here is a ball of wood armed with iron 
spikes, and fixed at the end of a long pole. You can 
hardly look at it without grating your teeth and clinch- 
ing your fists. What do you think they call it ? The 
"morning star," or "holy water sprinkle." Here is an 
iron fork, with springs, to pull a man from his horse by 
his head ; this is called a " catch-pole." Here is a long 
instrument, sharp at both ends; it is a "partisan." 
Here is a long, narrow sword attached to a hand cannon j 
this is a "tuck." 

But the military weapons did not fix my attention as 
did the instruments of torture, with which in former 
times the memory of a witness was refreshed and the 
creed of the heretic corrected. I paused over the head- 
ing-block, from which rolled the heads of the Scotch 
Lords Balmerino, Kilmarnock, and Lovatt, and mused 
over the ax which had severed so many noble necks — it 
looks like a cleaver. We must not leave this armory 
without entering the adjoining dungeon, in which that 
glorious Englishman, Sir Walter Raleigh, wrote his 
"History of the World," and from which he was led to 
death after a most noble life ; it is a semi-circular room, 
ten feet long and eight wide, formed in the thickness 
of the wall, and receiving no light but from the en- 
trance. ! what would Jesus say were he to pass 
through these armories ? What would say those angela 

12 



138 LETTERS FROM EUROPE. 

who sang at his birth, "Peace on earth, good-will to 
man, and glory to God in the highest ?" 

Having left the Horse Armory, we proceed to the 
Jewel House. Here the warder commits us to a lady, 
whose duty it is to indicate and describe. This building 
is new, having been completed in 1842. The regalia are 
inclosed in a glass case, surrounded by an iron railing, 
and consist of, 1. Victoria's Crown, a cap of purple vel- 
vet inclosed in hoops of silver, and surmounted by a ball 
and cross glittering with diamonds, among which, I be- 
lieve, is a ruby, a pearl, said to be the finest in the world, 
and an emerald seven inches in circumference. 2. The 
Crowns of St. Edward and the Prince of Wales, the 
ancient Queen's Crown, and the Queen's Diadem, 3. St. 
Edward's Stafi", the Royal Scepter, the Rod of Equity, 
the Queen's Scepter, and the Scepter of Queen Mary — 
all of gold. 4. The Ivory Scepter of Queen Marie 
d'Este, wife of James II. 5. The Sword of Mercy. 

6. The Swords of Justice, temporal and ecclesiastical. 

7. Coronation Bracelets and Spurs. 8. Coronation Spoon 
and Anointing Vessels. 9. Grolden Salt-Cellar. 10. Bap- 
tismal Font, used at the baptism of the royal children. 
11. Service of Sacramental Plate, vised at the coronation. 
I forgot to note what the lady stated was the total value 
of these precious things, but I remember that when it 
was announced, a stout, well-dressed Englishman cried 
out, "What nonsense!" Thinks I to myself, you are 
not- far from the republic. Cromwell, I believe, scat- 
tered and sold the royal ornaments, and that portion of 
the regalia kept in Westminster Abbey. It is claimed, 
however, that the golden salt-cellar of this collection 
is a relic of the ancient regalia. A little credulity still 
lingers here, for it is supposed that the ball of St. Ed- 
ward's Stafi" contains a chip of the true cross. 

We now pass round to the Beauchamp Tower. This is 



INSCRIPTIONS. 139 

remarkable for the numerous inscriptions left upon the 
walls by the prisoners, many of whom are unknown to 
history. I copied a few. The first on entering is, ''My 
hope is in Christ," Walter Pashew, 1569, 1570. Ascend- 
ing to the state-prison room, on the right of the doorway, 
you see a crucifix and bleeding heart, and under it, 
" Peverel." Near the fireplace of the prison-room is the 
figure of a man in the attitude of prayer; underneath is 
the name, ''Re Bainbridge." In another place we read, 
"Neither rashly nor with fear." "So live that thou 
mayest live; and die that thou mayest never die." "T. 
Salmon, 1622, close prisoner 8 months, 32 weekes, 224 
days, 5,376 oures." How natural ! Outside a recess, we 
see a death's head carved in the initial letter of the 
name, "James Gilmore." Near by, "Thomas Roper, 
1570." Underneath it, the words, "By the painful 
passage let us pass to the pleasant port." In another 
place, 

" Thomas Miagh whicli lieth here alone, 
That fayne would from hens be gon ; 
By torture strange mi troyth was tried. 
Yet of my libertie denied." 

It seems that the persecution was not all on one side; 
for on the right of a recess we read, "Typpyng stand 
and here thy cross, for thou art Catholyke, but no worse, 
and for that cause this byeer space, thou hast conteant 
wedin great disgrace; yet what happ will hitt I can not 
tell; but, be death or be well, conteant sweet good." 
Among the inscriptions of men known to fame are those 
of Lords Cobham, Seymour, Talbot — son of Sir Edward — 
Dudley, and Arundel — son of the Duke of Norfolk. 
There are two so afi"ecting that I can not pass them by; 
namely, "The more sufi"ering for Christ in this world, 
the more glory with Christ in the next. Thou hast 
crowned him with honor and glory, Lord ! In memory 



140 LETTERS FROM EUROPE. 

eyerlasting. He will be just. Arundel. June 22, 
1587." His offense was, aspiring to the hand of Mary, 
Queen of Scots. The other is the simple name, ''Jane," 
doubtless drawn by Lord Guilford Dudley. It is enough. 

Let us now gaze at this central building — the White 
Tower — a stone structure, with walls fifteen feet thick. 
It is one hundred and sixteen feet long, ninety-six wide, 
and ninety-two high, having battlements on all sides, and 
watch-turrets at each angle, the north-eastern of which 
was used by Flamsteed as an observatory till the Observ- 
atory of Greenwich was erected for him. It was built by 
William the Conqueror, about A. D. 1078. Besides deep 
vaults below the basement, it has three lofty stories, di- 
vided from base to summit by a wall seven feet thick, and 
communicating with each other by a staircase that winds 
round a circular column in the turret of the north-east- 
ern angle. Except Queen Elizabeth's Armory, and the 
adjoining rooms, every part of the building is closed 
against the public, and occupied chiefly as a depository of 
public records and stores of arms. The only apartments, 
however, that I desired to see, besides Queen Elizabeth's, 
were the Council Chamber, and the Chapel of Saint 
John's. 

The White Tower itself is a grand specimen of the 
Norman style, and its beauties are ascribed to the genius 
of Gundulph. It rises from the earth like a great, white 
throne. Time soon swallows the ordinary labors of 
man ; this monument reminds one of the classic myth of 
Ops saving some children from the jaws of devouring 
Saturn. Glorious old Tower ! for nearly a thousand years 
hast thou wrapt thy shoulders in thy mantle of cloud, and 
hailed the rejoicing sun, and communed with the silent 
stars; thou hast heard ten thousand thunders burst upon 
thy head, and seen twice ten thousand lightnings flash 
around thy hoary locks ; thou hast looked out upon un- 



THE TOWER A HISTORY, 141 

numbered storms lashing the rock-bound coast thou 
guardest, and often felt the rumbling of the distant 
earthquake ; thou bearest on thy bosom a chapter in the 
history of man, and a leaf in the history of God, and 
still thou standest, akin to his everlasting hills. Great 
abstract of the past, and index to the future ! Thou 
didst see that old bridge cross the Thames above thy 
moat, and temples and towers rise over its massive arches, 
and thou didst see it taken down; thou hast seen that 
city rise over the surrounding hills ; and thou hast seen 
the fire kindle and spread over it like one maddened sea 
of flame; thou hast marked palaces and temples crum- 
bling at thy feet, and thy stream conveying their ashes to 
the sea. Long hast thou listened to the Almighty, say- 
ing, "Return ye children of men," and witnessed gener- 
ation after generation marching in funeral procession 
to the tomb ; often hast thou seen the cholera or the 
plague fall like a pall of death upon the world, and fam- 
ine breathing upon the pallid nations, and war lifting his 
floodgates of wrath; but still thou livest. 

What conflicts hast thou beheld ! Norman and Saxon, 
Briton and Scot, White Rose and Red, Royalist and 
Rebel, Cavalier and Round Head, Protestant and Papist, 
rushing to mortal combat. What vicissitudes hast thou 
witnessed ! Now, coronations and fetes, and processions 
and tournaments; and now, the doomed prisoner, muffled 
in his cloak, following the ax, with a few weeping friends, 
clad in black. What revolutions hast thou beheld ! 
Thou didst rise with the Conqueror, and watch over his 
sons and his sons' cousin; thou didst welcome the bloody 
Plantagenet within thy gates, and didst send him forth to 
die upon the ensanguined plain; thou didst see the 
haughty Tudor come, and see him proudly but mournfully 
go; thou didst see the tyrant Stuart light his lamp in 
thy lordly halls, and didst hurl him from thy threshold; 



142 LETTERS FROM EUROPE. 

thou didst hail the Hanoverian across the seas, and thou 
waitest for his end. 

Pagan, Jew, Christian, Papist and Protestant, Puritan 
and Churchman, have worshiped in thy courts. 

"What progress dost thou attest! Progress of faith, 
from the offering in error and in form to the offering in 
spirit and in truth — progress of liberty, through the 
charter of John, the representation of Montfort, the con- 
stitution of William and Mary, and the act of reform — 
progress of science, from the magician over his incan- 
tations to the immortal philosopher measuring the 
heavens — progress of art, from the unwieldy barge slowly 
creeping under the oar, to the copper-footed, thunder- 
mouthed, fire-breathing steamship, moving through the 
storm like an avenging God. Thou art a monument of 
the majesty of thy country; for thy cannon has never 
opened its mouth to a foreign foe; silently thou sayest, 

" Britannia needs no bulwarks, 
No towers along the steep — 
Her marcli is o'er the mountain wave, 
Her home is on the deep." 

Thy banner is the flag of civil strife. Thou art 
chargeable with caprice, and injustice, and cruelty, 
and wrong. Thou didst let slip the wily Flambard, 
and hold fast to the faithful Hugh de Burgh; thou 
didst feast the French King John, and rob six hun- 
dred of thine own Hebrew children; thou didst de- 
capitate the famous Sidney, and suffer the infamous 
Jeffreys to go with his head on to the grave; thou didst 
see Hastings interposing the influence of magistracy be- 
tween tyranny and innocence, and thou didst crush him; 
thou didst see Bacon coming with his gray hairs, his 
crown of science, his great name, his eye of light, and 
his robe of justice, to put the instruments of torture 
upon a trembling prisoner and didst not crush him; 



VICTIMS OF THE TOWER. 143 

thou didst send the noble Cobham to the scaffold because 
he was a Protestant, and the equally-noble More because 
he was not; thou didst send troops of knights to guard 
the empty tomb of Christ, and didst allow troops of rats 
to devour, piecemeal, in thy ''Little Hell," his living 
children; thou didst wring from Raleigh a stern philoso- 
phy, and press from the bleeding Chaucer his "Testa- 
ment of Love;" thou didst bruise, in Wallace, the heart 
of Caledonia, and hush, in Griffin, the harp of Hoel. In 
the person of Anne Boleyn thou didst receive at thy 
postern, innocence, and beauty, and wit, and fortune; 
thou didst see her crowned and happy, chasing the "rosy 
hours" through palace halls, with "flying feet;" thou 
didst see her tried and condemned; thou didst hold her 
in thy firm grip, as she struggled to fall at the feet of 
her offended lord; thou didst hear her last appeal, "0, 
Father! 0, Creator ! thou art the way, the truth, and the 
life ! thou knowest that I have not deserved this death I" 
and yet thou didst yield her up to the ax. What terrible 
conceptions have sprung from the chambers of thy brain ! 
what horrible revenge has stirred thy bowels 1 what mon- 
sters of iniquity have issued from thy sin-generating 
loins ! thou hast come down from the past treading the 
wine-press of wrath, with dyed garments, but, unlike his 
that came from Bozrah, the blood that has crimsoned 
them is not redeeming; the spots are damned spots, 
which not all the waters of the Thames, flowing for ages 
at thy feet, can wash out. 

Let me sit down to rest upon these stones, which cover 
the headless bodies of Lady Jane, the beautiful Anne, 
the good Somerset, the noble Surry, and a long line of 
martyrs, who, through faith, quenched the violence of 
fire, crimsoned the edge of the sword, had trials of cruel 
irons, and racks, yea, moreover, of bonds and imprison- 
ments, not accepting deliverance. 



144 LETTERS FROM EUROPE. 

Here let us learn faith — faitli in Grod; faith in truth. 
These mouths of death are silent; these towers look 
peacefully upon the waters and the land; these dungeons 
are empty; these instruments of torture are objects 
of curiosity; these subterranean passages are choked. 
"Why am I not moved in like manner as I pass around 
my own beloved west?" The answer is, ''She has no 
history." For aught I know, that cloud-capped mount- 
ain has never been inhabited by man; that amazing cat- 
aract has poured its eternal melody into the ear of Grod 
alone. They are fitted to inspire awe and reverence, to 
quiet the heart, and moisten the eyes, and melt the lips 
into the melody of praise. How different should we feel 
if that snowy summit were stained with human blood, 
and those ever-green sides crushed in the strife of battle, 
and those caves holding fast in the stocks apostles, sing- 
ing hymns, and saints exchanging life for conscience and 
the world for its Maker; and legions of devils throwing 
firebrands around, and companies of angels with commis- 
sions of mercy! How different Niagara, if every ripple 
were a lesson of human ambition, and pride, and jeal- 
ousy, and revenge, and every echo a story of human 
suffering, or wrong, or sorrow, or fear! and if its ledges, 
marking successive centuries, led us up beyond the flood ! 

We are human, and "count nothing that pertains to 
humanity foreign from us." We are fallen, and need the 
fathers to connect us with Grod. Nature without history 
too often is as Paradise to Adam without the voice of God. 

We Americans are building a historic tower, and under 
^ circumstances more favorable than the world has ever 
seen since man left Paradise. Alas ! its corner-stone 
is already stained with the blood of two races. May re- 
pentance wash out the stain, and grace enable us so to 
carry up the building that its successive stories shall be 
like the rounds of the ladder on which angels rise ! 



BOOKS. 145 



BEFORE we take leave of London, let us say some 
things about, 

1. BOOKS. 

It was gratifying to me to see American books on sale 
at London bookstores. It is not surprising, however, as 
we have produced some of the best writers in the English 
language, such as Irving, Bancroft, Prescott, Mrs. Sig- 
ourney, and Dr. Drake. It was, however, somewhat 
unexpectedly that I met with some of our western publi- 
cations in Paternoster Row; for, although deserving, 
they are less known to fame — such as History of Meth- 
odist Missions, from the prolific, pleasing pen of Dr. 
Strickland, and Miscellaneous Sermons, by preachers of 
the Ohio conference. The bookseller was kind enough 
to ask me what other Methodist works from western 
Amei'ica I would advise him to import. I named to 
him — besides some of our standard books, such as Mor- 
ris's Sermons — Finley's Autobiography, and Sketches of 
Western Methodism, and assured him that, if he could 
get them fairly into market, they would run a race with 
Uncle Tom's Cabin, as they give such a lively view of 
pioneer life, and are so fraught with interest from the 
beginning to the close. He told me that he had already 
ordered the former, and would be encouraged to give it a 
fair opportunity. 

Only think of the old chief, after threading the wil- 
derness for a long lifetime, without any dreams of being 
13 



146 LETTERS FROM EUROPE, 

an author, edifying and amusing firesides on the banks 
of the Thames, while he sits comfortably beside his own 
on the banks of the Ohio ! 

I need not say that Dr. Elliott's work on Romanism is 
to be found in London. It will find its way to the con- 
tinent, I hope, and give a character to western American 
Methodism, of which it may well be proud. 

May we, who have entered into the labors of others, 
never be ungrateful to our fathers, whose toils prepared 
the harvest that we are reaping, and may our prede- 
cessors enjoy a green old age, and an ample reward for 
their exertions ! Alas ! many have already fallen — some, 
it is to be feared, without having experienced that gen- 
erosity and sympathy from the Church which they had 
a right to expect. 

The English begin to acknowledge the excellences of 

American mind. A London editor remarked to me, with 

every indication of sincerity, "The Anglo-Saxon genius 

Q, has, I fear, gone to America ; we may look for its highest 

achievements on that continent." 

It is somewhat provoking to me that I could not see a 
copy of the Western Christian Advocate or the Ladies' 
Repository in the old world, although I inquired for 
them both as well in England as in France. A book- 
seller — Mr. Alexander Heylin — promised me that he 
would negotiate for an agency for the latter. This gen- 
tleman, allow me to say, is a very worthy young man, 
prompt, intelligent, active, polite, enterprising. If any 
of our readers wish to import books from the English 
market, they can not do better than to send him their 
orders. He was, for some time, a clerk in the Methodist 
Book Concern, City-Road, London, where they give him 
the highest character for ability and integrity. Desiring 
to enter upon a larger field, he purchased the stock of 
the late Richard Raines, and he now carries on the 



HOW TO IMPORT BOOKS. 147 

business at that gentleman's old stand, 28 Paternoster 
Row, London. He reminds me of our friend J. P. 
Kilbreth, of Cincinnati, who is an honor to the local 
ministry of the Methodist Episcopal Church. There are 
much more extensive houses in London, but none at 
which an American order will receive more prompt and 
grateful attention; and as it is in correspondence with 
various parts of the continent, it can doubtless furnish 
works in other languages than English. If, however, 
your readers would import directly from the continent, I 
can name no gentleman with whom they can more safely 
or more advantageously correspond than Mr. Hector 
Bossange, 25 Quai Voltaire, Paris. Mr. Bossange speaks 
the English language, has visited our country, and has 
an agency in New York, conducted by his son. He has 
long been engaged in the business, and will carry into 
the continental markets his enlarged experience, knowl- 
edge, and acquaintance; buy for you to the best advant- 
age, pack and forward the purchases in the most safe 
and expeditious mode, and charge you but a smalTj com- 
mission. I name these gentlemen from no sinister views, 
but partly to introduce worthy friends to western readers, 
and chiefly to facilitate the importation of foreign books 
for the numerous libraries, private and public, which are 
springing into existence in our immense and improving 
country. 

2. THE EDUCATIONAL EXHIBITION. 

The Society for the Encouragement of the Arts, Man- 
ufactures, and Commerce, was holding its one hun- 
dredth annual session when I was in London. This 
Society was established for "bestowing pecuniary and 
honorary rewards for meritorious works in the various 
departments of fine arts, for discoveries, inventions, and 
improvements in agriculture, chemistry, manufactures, 



148 LETTERS PROM EUROPE. 

and other useful arts ; for the application of such natural 
and artificial products, whether of home, colonial, or 
foreign growth and manufacture, as appeared likely to 
afibrd fresh objects of industry, and to increase the trade 
of the realm by extending the sphere and operations of 
British commerce." It has already expended five hun- 
dred thousand dollars in prizes, premiums, and grants, 
given rise to many improvements in manufactures, and 
opened new sources of industry and commerce. It 
maintains an extensive correspondence with scientific 
men in all parts of the world, publishes a weekly journal, 
and takes into union with itself literary and scientific 
institutions and mechanics' institutes, on the basis of 
perfect security to the continued independence of the 
institutions, and the freedom of their self-government. 
Its sessions commence in November and end in July, 
during which period papers are read and discussed every 
Wednesday evening. It has, from an early day of its 
history, held annual exhibitions, and in these originated 
the great Industrial Exhibition of 1851. It has always 
aimed to subsei-ve the cause of education, as the great 
means by which a progressive improvement in arts, man- 
ufactures, and commerce can be secured; and it cele- 
brated its hundredth anniversary by a great exhibition, 
sustaining the same relation to education as the Indus- 
trial Exhibition of 1851 did to the mechanic arts. It 
sought to repi'esent the state of education in France, 
Prussia, Belgium, Hauover, the German states, Holland, 
Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Switzerland, the United 
States of America, and the United Kingdom of Grreat 
Britain and Ireland. The Exhibition was held in "St. 
Martin's Hall," and was opened by an inaugural address 
" On the Material Helps of Education," by Rev. William 
Whewell, D. D. During its continuance, lectures and 
conversations were held every day in the week. I bad 



EDUCATIONAL APPARATUS. 149 

no time to hear any of these lectures ; but I took a few 
hours to visit the hall and mark the chief objects on 
exhibition. 

Among the gentlemen appointed by their respective 
governments to visit and report on this exhibition was 
our countryman, Hon. Henry Barnard, of Connecticut; 
and among its contributors were H. Barnes & Co., New 
York; New York Board of Education; Peabody, New 
York; C. F. Stansbury, Massachusetts; E. L. Youmans, 
New York. 

I felt a little chagrined at not meeting with any thing 
from Ohio, and a little surprised to see objects from the 
schools of Ceylon, India, and Malta. 

The articles consisted of educational apparatus, cab- 
inets of objects, results of school labor, etc. — such as 
philosophical instruments, models of school buildings, 
drawings, showing plans, elevations, and sections of 
groups of school buildings ; models of desks, easels, 
blackboards, curtains; cabinets of fishes, cabinets of 
minerals, cabinets of vegetable productions; maps, draw- 
ings, paintings; copies, abaci, diagrams, time-tables; 
boxes of geometrical solids; books for all school and 
academical classes on all scholastic subjects ; embossed 
books and embossed music for the blind ; copies for 
outline drawing, architectural and mechanical draw- 
ing; elementary works for teaching color; copies for 
shaded drawing ; solid models ; colored examples ; 
globes ; dressed dolls ; articles of linen and crotchet- 
work ; mats of straw plait ; samples of laundry work ; 
needle-work and knitting; samplers; model shirts, 
model night-gowns, and model cooking-kitchen, intended 
to teach cooking in schools. Indeed, it was enough 
to weary a man to go through the various departments 
on the different floors. This exhibition was calculated 
to convince us that others have paid attention to edu- 



150 LETTERS FROM EUROPE. 

cation as well as ourselves. Swedes and Norwegians 
could teach us some tilings. You will agree with, me 
that the old world makes education rather more practical, 
as well as ornamental, than we do. In this respect we 
have a lesson to learn. The cause of education has re- 
cently received a new impetus in England; it is a matter 
of conversation and discussion among all classes, and is a 
leading object of governmental concern; school-teachers 
are uniting and strengthening each other, testing and 
registering the various methods of teaching ; and com- 
municating to one another the fruits of their researches, 
experiments, and reflections. They seem to recognize, 
generally, the great principle that the Bible is the basis 
of education — a principle which lies at the foundation 
of their noblest associations, and imparts life and power 
to all their operations. In this respect they stand in 
strong contrast with some of their continental neighbors, 
who, anxious for something new, cry, " A prophet, yea, 
and more than a prophet," when there is nothing but "a 
reed shaken with the wind." 

The second article of the United Association of 
Schoolmasters of Great Britain reads thus : *' That the 
Association embraces all teachers — public or private — 
who acknowledge the essential doctrines of Christianity 
and the sufficiency of holy Scripture as the rule of faith 
and practice, and who regard the Bible as the only sure 
basis of true education." 

This institution will keep a permanent exhibition sim- 
ilar to that at St. Martin's Hall — though on a smaller 
scale — as one of the means of accomplishing its import- 
ant ends. 

An interesting paper, lately read before the Associa- 
tion, contains the following generalizations, which, as I 
have not met with them in western papers, I introduce 
here; namely, 



QUALIFICATIONS OF TEACHERS. 151 

1. Teachers of limited capacity, or whose command 
of language is limited, invariably teach best with text- 
books or by the individual system of instruction. 

2. Men of fervid imagination, having a great com- 
mand of language and enthusiasm of character, almost 
invariably become superior teachers. 

3. Decision of character almost invariably forms an 
element in the qualifications of a superior teacher. 

4. Men who arc deficient in general knowledge and 
enthusiasm of character are generally bad teachers, even 
though they may profess great technical acquirements. 

5. An earnest man imbued with the love of children 
is rarely a bad teacher. 

6. The love of teaching is generally associated with 
the capacity for it; but the converse does not so gen- 
erally hold true. 

7. A man of superior teaching powers teaches well by 
any rational method. But he will always teach best by 
that method which is suited to his peculiar capabilities. 

8. Men generally teach badly when they attempt to 
teach too much, or when they do not duly prepare their 
lessons. 

9. Presence of mind and self-confidence, which is 
based on self-knowledge, are essential elements in a good 
teacher's character. 

10. Success in teaching is more dependent upon the 
capabilities of the master for teaching than upon his 
technical acquirements. Teaching power is not always 
associated with superior talents or acquirements. 



152 LETTERS FROM EUROPE, 



LEAVING LONDON. 

LET US leave London. We take the morning train by 
the South-Western railway for Portsmouth. Al- 
though the weather is very warm, we have no annoyance 
from dust; this arises partly from the moisture of the 
climate, but chiefly, perhaps, from the care that has been 
taken to cultivate grass up to the track on both sides. 
We observe the same neatness in the habitations, and 
skill in the husbandry, as we noticed in passing from 
Liverpool to London. The houses of the farmers, how- 
ever humble, are adorned with the woodbine and the 
rose, the carnation and the aster, which climb the trellis 
or allure you up the graveled walk. The meadows look 
gay with the buttercup and the daisy. Much as you 
have heard about poverty in England, you would imagine 
as you pass along that each peasant had " his chicken in 
the pot j" while the numerous pretty villages and coun- 
try seats remind you of paradise itself Onward we pass 
through several towns and tunnels, by Portchester and 
Cosham, along the base of Portsdown, and round the 
east side of Portsmouth harbor to the city. 

THE NEGRO POLIS. 

Two places attracted attention and excited conversa- 
tion on the way; the first was the great London Necrop- 
olis, near Woking, twenty miles from the city. This 
graveyard embraces about two thousand acres — an im- 



A GREAT CEMETERY. 163 

mense field for the dead — but perhaps none too large for 
a city whose mortality is sixty thousand a year. It has 
been laid out recently by a company, denominated the 
London Necropolis and National Mausoleum Company. 
The situation is well adapted to the purpose. It is ap- 
proached through a sandy heath, ornamented with here 
and there a cultivated plot, and it occupies an undulating 
tract, having at long intervals groves of stunted firs — 
reminding me of the oak openings of Michigan — but it 
affords a panorama appropriately picturesque. It is said 
to be seven times as large as the total area of all the 
other cemeteries for the metropolis. There is a church 
in one part of the grounds for members of the Establish- 
ment, and a chapel in another for Dissenters. It was 
duly consecrated lately by the Bishop of Winchester, on 
which interesting occasion there was abundance of good 
cheer and no lack of good appetite — a free use of the 
decanter, with an accompaniment of appropriate toasts 
and no less appropriate speeches. The capital which the 
company is authorized to raise is about three millions and 
a half of dollars. Here we see an unanticipated advantage 
to be derived from railroads. Cemeteries have heretofore 
been either intermural or suburban. In both cases the 
dead have been crowded within narrow limits, and the 
living have suffered in health from their decomposition. 
One might suppose, at first, that interments at so 
great a distance would be attended with frequent inter- 
ruptions and great expense. I was surprised to learn, 
however, that the entire mortality of London might be 
conveyed by the road without detention and without the 
slightest interruption to the ordinary trafiic either upon 
the streets adjoining the station, or upon the line itself, 
and that interments through this channel are attended 
with less expense than those which occur in the nearer 
church-yards. The tariff of the company is £17 4s., 



154 LETTERS FROM EUROPE. 

£9 8s., £6, £2 8s., for first, second, third, and fourth- 
class funerals respectively; so that if a man chooses to 
die in the fourth class he can be buried pretty cheap. 

WINCHESTER. 

This is one of the most remarkable towns in England, 
the site of one of the earliest settlements of the island. 
From the days of Egbert to those of Edward the Con- 
fessor it was the English capital. It contains the tombs 
of Alfred the Great and Canute. Its cathedral stands 
on the some spot where Kinegils, the first Saxon king 
who embraced the Christian faith, laid the foundations 
of its first English temple. How many great men have 
been entombed within and around its walls, and how 
many masses have been chanted for the repose of their 
souls ! 

Winchester is the site of a college which was founded 
here in 1387, by William of Wykeham — a man who, by 
his extraordinary genius, raised himself from the depths 
of poverty to the lofty seat of Lord Chancellor. Though 
he was an ecclesiastic, he was renowned both as an archi- 
tect and a civilian. Under his superintendence the park 
of Windsor was surveyed, and its palace reared. Having 
inscribed upon the structure the amphibolous sentence, 
"This made Wykeham," which being read forward y^SLS 
a compliment to the king, and read backward was a com- 
pliment to himself, he came near losing the favor of his 
sovereign. Toward the close of life he found a more de- 
sirable and less equivocal way to perpetuate his name, by 
appropriating his ample fortune to the endowment of 
two colleges — this of Winchester — St. Mary's — and New 
College, Oxford — institutions which are destined to live 
as long as the English language, and dispense their bless- 
ings from year to year, long after the monuments of their 
founder's architectural genius shall have moldered to dust. 



MY NATIVE CITY. 165 

PORTSMOUTH. 

The bells were ringing a merry peal, the roar of artil- 
lery was booming over the sea, and military bands were 
playing martial airs as I entered my native city. This 
all might have been intended for the Lords of the Ad- 
miralty, who arrived in the same train that I did; but 
then it answered just as well as if it had been exclusively 
to greet my appearance. Entering a carriage I was soon 
put down at the George Hotel, where also the Lords of 
the Admiralty put up. After they had inspected the 
port they gave a grand ball, which, however, I did not 
attend for several reasons, one of which was that I was 
not invited. The G-eorge Hotel is a very comfortable 
house, where a traveler may find every thing that he 
needs and almost every thing that he desires. There is 
no common table ; you may have your meals to order at 
any time, served up either in the coffee-room or your pri- 
vate apartments. There is no appearance of a bar, 
though liquors are furnished if called for. Here, as in 
other English taverns, a lady receives you, and when you 
depart, makes out and receipts your bill. With all its 
cleanliness, order, and comfort, the George Hotel has 
nothing of the spaciousness and grandeur of the St. 
Nicholas or the Metropolitan of New York. 

WALKS ABOUT THE CITY. 

Southsea is a charming promenade. On one side you 
have handsome terraces, on the other the groves and 
buildings of the "King's Kooms," a celebrated watering, 
place. Here you may obtain hot, cold, or shower baths. 
The prospects from the terraces and from the colonnade 
of the " King's Rooms " are enchanting — the shipping, 
the Isle of Wight, with its majestic hills, the inner 
harbor, with its fortresses, the gun-wharf anpd the dock- 



156 LETTERS FROM EUROPE. 

yard, the castle and the open sea. At one end of the 
Clarence esplanade are statues of Wellington and Nelson, 
which were presented to the mayor by Lord Frederick 
Fitzclarence in 1850; they were sculptured by Milligan, 
of London. The fortifications, which were the favorite 
scene of my childhood's rambles and gambols, were com- 
menced in the time of Edward IV, and completed, 
nearly as they now are, in the reign of William III. 

Wandering about, we met with a number of monu- 
ments to remind us that we are in an old country. On 
a venerable building where, before the introduction of 
the electric telegraph, rose the semaphore from which 
signals were made to ships and communication held 
with London, is a bust of Charles I, with this inscrip- 
tion : 

" King Charles the First, after his travels through France and 
Spain, and having passed many dangers, both by sea and land, he 
arrived here the tenth day of October, 1623." 

The object of his travels was to see his intended 
bride, the daughter of the Spanish king. Happy for 
him, and perhaps for his country too, had he never 
returned. 

On High -street two objects attracted notice, one on 
one side, the other on the opposite ; the one a spacious 
and elegant Unitarian church, erected 1719, long be- 
fore — as I supposed — this form of heterodoxy had ob- 
tained much influence in England ; the other an antique 
house, celebrated as the one in which the Duke of Buck- 
ingham was assassinated by Felton, August 22, 1628. 
In the "Portsmouth Church" there is a monument to 
the Duke. It consists of an urn surmounted by a phe- 
nix, having on each side pyramids of warlike instru- 
ments; above are the arms of the house of Villiers; 
beneath, the figures of Fame and Sincerity. On the 
tablet is a Latin inscription, attributing to the noble 



BENEVOLENT INSTITUTIONS. 157 

personage to wtom it is consecrated the most exalted 
abilities and the most charming excellences. Verily, it 
would be hard to prove human depravity from grave- 
stones. It is Charles Lamb, 1 believe, who wonders, in 
walking through the graveyard, where all the had people 
are buried. 

By the way, this Portsmouth Church is one of the 
most noticeable objects in the place; it was originally 
built in 1220, and dedicated to Thomas-a-Becket, but was 
rebuilt in 1693, except the chancel and transept, which 
are those of the original structure. The marriage regis- 
try-book of this church is an object of great curiosity, 
because of the register of the marriage of Charles II 
with the infanta of Portugal, 1662. 

The benevolent institutions of this city are numerous; 
among them we noted Portsmouth National School, where 
four hundred poor boys are educated upon the system of 
Dr. Bell; a grammar-school, endowed in the last century 
by Dr. Smith, where fifty boys are educated free ; Ports- 
mouth Seamen and Marines' Orphan School, where 
ninety fatherless boys and girls are educated and provided 
for. Among the literary institutions of higher grade 
and for public benefit are the Portsmouth, Portsea, and 
Gosport Literary and Philosophical Association, contain- 
ing a museum and a library — it provides, during the 
winter, a course of lectures on physical and moral phi- 
losophy and belles-lettres; the Atheneum, among whose 
curiosities is the figure-head of the Resolution — the ship 
in which the celebrated Captain Cook circumnavigated the 
globe — and the Hampshire Library Society. Britain is 
second to no country in charitable and religious institu- 
tions. 

PORTCHESTER CASTLE. 

One evening I rode out, in company with a cousin, to 
Portchester Castle. This is one of the most remarkable 



158 LETTERS FROM EUROPE. 

structures I have ever seen. It is at the head of the 
northern branch of the harbor, three and a half miles, by 
water, from Portsmouth, in a position which, in early times, 
gave it great advantages ; a legionary march— twenty 
miles — from Chichester, and an equal distance from 
Southampton. It is evidently a Roman fortification. Its 
form is a square. Its walls are composed of flint-stones, 
set in panels, through the interstices of which hot 
cement has been poured, and which is harder than the 
stone itself. The hard-burned brick has, however, 
been used in its construction, and can be seen in strata 
on removing the plaster. There is a landport gate, 
fronted toward the water, by the prsetorium gate. The 
postern gate — corresponding to the right principal of a 
Roman camp — leads from the keep through the northern 
wall. It contains forty-four thousand, five hundred and 
twenty square yards, more than sufficient space for two 
Roman legions. On the left of the location of the 
praetorium was the site of the temple. This Castle is 
supposed to have been built between the reign of Claudius, 
A. D. 42, and that of Vespasian, A. D. 80, and to have 
become, about the year 286, the naval arsenal and chief 
dockyard of Carusius, whose fleets swept the seas fi:om 
the British Channel to the Thracian Bosphorus. 

Roman coins and vases have been found in various 
places in the vicinity. These are generally of the reigns 
of Dioclesian, Constantius Chlorus, Galesius, and Con- 
stantinus Magnus. The Castle was named by the Ro- 
mans "Portus Magnus," doubtless because of its excellent 
harbor, and its vicinity to the Isle of Wight and the 
British Channel. It was called by the Britons, Caer 
Peres; by the Saxons, Portcaster; from which came its 
present name. At the north-west angle is a '^ great 
tower," which is attributed to the Saxons, and was, prob- 
ably, reared in the sixth century, and served as a defense 



A LEGEND. 159 

against the Danes. After the Norman conquest the 
castle was held for the conqueror by a constable with a 
garrison of archers and feudal knights. It has often 
served for the confinement of political prisoners. 

Upon the decline of the feudal system and the aban- 
donment of the medieval mode of warfare, it ceased to 
be of importance, and its garrison was withdrawn. In 
the reign of Elizabeth, however, it was restored to 
martial uses, and was often honored with the presence of 
royalty. 

The progress in the art of war gradually sunk Port- 
chester in importance, and raised Portsmouth, whose 
commanding cannon now protect the harbor's mouth. 

Within the walls of this old Roman castrum is a 
church, erected before the Norman conquest, and remind- 
ing us of those troubled times when churches needed 
the protection of garrisons. 

As this church has not been needed for many years, a 
gentleman of the last century, who owned the estate to 
which it belonged, and who lived in a style of great 
magnificence, took it into his head to make a theater of 
it, concerning which attempt there is a legend here that 
runs thus : 

In one of the scenes of the first performance a super- 
fluous performer, of portentous appearance — horned, 
hoofed, and tailed — figured on the stage. Suddenly 
the lights burned blue, while 

" A sulphurous smatch 
Of old Lucifer's match" 

produced a general scamper of managers, fiddlers, per- 
formers, spectators, and all. 

The English abhorrence of desecrating sacred places 
afi"ords an explanation. 

The upper story of the keep has lately been occupied 



160 LETTERS PROM EUROPE. 

as a place of amusementj and has been fantastically 
painted for that purpose. 

The land in the vicinity belonged to a priory; but at 
the Reformation, after the suppression of the monasteries. 
it passed into the hands of a lay sinecurist. 

In 1732 Colonel Norton, who was Lord of the Manor, 
dying without near kindred, left the revenues of his 
estates, amounting then to one hundred and fifty thousand 
dollars a year, and three hundred thousand dollars in 
money, for "the support of the hungry and thirsty, the 
sick and the wounded, the captive and the stranger," 
without distinction of age or country; but as the will was 
contrary to the dictates of human nature, the court ad- 
judged the testator to be insane, and, setting aside the 
instrument, gave the property to a distant relative — ^Mr. 
Thistlethewayte — in whose family it still remains. Its 
revenues are from three hundred thousand to three hun- 
dred and fifty thousand dollars a year. 

This Castle has often been rented by Government, in 
time of war, for confinement of prisoners. During the 
French Revolutionary war it contained seven or eight thou- 
sand French. The Dutch prisoners taken from De Win- 
ter's fleet were confined in the great tower, and also the 
French soldiers taken in Ireland by the British coasting 
squadron. 

Passing out of the Castle, and taking leave of the 
guide, by placing a crown or two in his hand, a melan- 
choly mood came upon us, as we thought of this great 
work of — in some respects — the greatest people the world 
has ever produced — the Romans — and of the many ban- 
ners and battles that must have been witnessed within 
its "gray but leafy walls." 

We walked slowly through the little village, observing 
the habitations, mostly the cottages of the poor. De- 
siring to see one we rapped at a door, when we were 



A CONVERSATION. 161 

politely received by an old man and woman. We found 
every thing remarkably neat, and were allowed to 
walk through the grounds, consisting of about half an 
acre, cultivated as a garden, and inclosed by a high stone 
wall. 

"What do you pay for these premises?" 

"Forty pounds a year." 

How they made it I know not; but, doubtless, they 
extracted it from their plat of ground. 

As we were leaving the village we met a farmer. 

"There," said my cousin, "is one of Mr. Thistlethe- 
wayte's tenants." 

"I must talk with him," said I. Being introduced, we 
had a long conversation. 

"How many acres has the Lord of the Manor?" 

" A great many." 

"Well, that is rather indefinite. Has he four hun- 
dred?" 

"0, yes; more than ten thousand. I have cultivated 
one of the farms for many years, and my son has just 
rented another. He takes to it at Michaelmas." 

"You, I suppose, know Mr. Thistlethewayte ?" 

"Yes, from a child. I remember when he was born. 
His father intended to have him born in London. At 
the time, he sent on a carriage, with the et cseteras, and 
ordered out another for Mrs. Thistlethewayte; but as the 
good lady was getting into it she had to return. A 
messenger was immediately sent after the advance car- 
riage, and another for the doctor, and so young master 
was born among us." 

The little intruder! he deserves to be a plebeian for 
defeating such aristocratic arrangements. 

A truce to this. Sense, says one, sometimes, though 
rarely, produces sense; but it comes up slowly, and 
needs weeding. But the harvest of nonsense, on good 
14 



162 LETTERS FROM EUROPE. 

ground, produces a hundred-fold, and springs up immedi- 
ately. 

Returning to the city, I took, next day, a more select 
•walk, in company with a relative, and you may imagine 
my feelings as he, in passing, said, "Here is where your 
grandfather made his money. This is the house where 
he lived in retirement, and where your mother was mar- 
ried. This is the house where you was born. That is 
the house where your father sank his fortune," etc. 

OflF to Kingston now to look among the graves. Here 
lie the ashes of my ancestors for successive generations; 
the faithful, moss-grown stones still hear names and dates. 
I plucked a daisy for my mother from her father's grave. 
The old sexton, inquiring my residence, leaped in ec- 
stasy. 

"Ohio! dear me, I have just been reading a story 
about a gal that lived on the Ohio." Taking me back 
to his house, and calling his wife, he said, "Betsy! here, 
Betsy ! see, here is a man from Ohio ! Just see ; from 
■ the very place we have been reading about ! Get the 
paper! get the paper!" He showed me the tale; but I 
have forgotten the title. 

I was but seven years old when I left my native land, 
and could, therefore, recognize nothing. Although 1 
have forgotten the abodes and scenes of childhood, I have 
not forgotten the persons associated with early years. 
Had my father and mother died when I left my native 
shores, I should have known to this day that they loved 
Grod and loved me. 

I could speak of the dock-yard ; the Isle of Wight — 
that beautiful gem — which looks like the last of earth or 
the first of heaven; of Osborne House — the Queen's 
favorite abode; of the regatta, or boat-race, which I 
witnessed from Eyde, and which the Queen and the 
royal children honored with their presence. But I fear 



ENGLISH SOCIETY. 163 

I should be tedious, and, therefore, will, I think, say 
nothing more about England; but, before we go to the 
continent, I desire to say something of its society as it 
presented itself to me. 



164 LETTERS FROM EUROPE. 



K> 



ENGLISH CHARACTER. 

ATKAVELER is very likely to form hasty conclusions 
as he passes through a country; the persons with 
whom he meets may be exceptions to general rules; 
so, too, may the incidents. Nevertheless, if we have cor- 
rect general notions in regard to a nation's character- 
istics, we may easily separate exce^otions to rules from 
illustrations of them. In this respect we have the ad- 
vantage of the nations of the old world ; their habits and 

^ characters have been long stereotyped and studied, ours 
are still in process of formation. While, therefore, the 
European traveler in America is liable to commit serious 
blunders, the American traveler in Europe can read cor- 
rectly as he runs. And he will certainly read things new 

^ to him. 

Fluellen, in the tragedy, says: "If you look in the 
maps of the 'orld I warrant you shall find in the compar- 
isons between Macedon and Monmouth, that the situa- 
tions is both alike. There is a river in Macedon, and 
there is moreover one in Monmouth; it is called Wye at 
Monmouth, but it is out of my prains what is the name 
of the other river; but 'tis all one — 'tis so like as my 
fingers is to my fingers, and there is salmons in both." 
Thus many reason of human nature ; every-where it is 
essentially the same. So it is; nevertheless, it presents 
great differences in different situations, nor is it unim- 



PATENT MEDICINES. 165 

portant to inquire into these differences ; a comparison of 
two nations is none the less interesting when the dissimi- 
larity between them is slight, as is the case with England 
and the United States. In race, in language, in religion, 
in grade of civilization, in love of liberty, in aspiration 
for dominion, in patriotic attachments, and indomitable 
bravery, we are alike. So we are, generally, in manners 
and customs, in excellences and weaknesses. Day and 
Martin's English blacking is sold in Cincinnati, and Old 
Dr. Jacob Townsend's Sarsaparilla is hawked about in 
London. We are one, too, in political institutions and 
principles. When the British colonies came to these 
shores, they brought with them the great charter of Eng- 
lish liberties, and the common law of the English realm — 
the law of a free people, which, in the language of Mr. 
Story, "became the guardian of their civil and political 
rights; it protected their infant liberties; it watched 
over their maturer growth ; it expanded with their wants ; 
it nourished in them that spirit of independence, which 
checked tho first approaches of arbitrary power; it ena- 
bled them to triumph in the midst of dangers and diffi- 
culties; and, by the good providence of God, we their 
descendants are now enjoying, under its bold and manly 
principles, the blessing of a free and enlightened admin- 
istration of justice. 

Well might John Randolph ask, ''In what school did 
the worthies of our land — the Washingtons, Hancocks, 
Franklins, Rutledges of America — learn these principles 
of civil liberty which were so nobly asserted by their 
wisdom and valor? I acknowledge the influence of a 
Shakspeare and Milton upon my imagination, of a Locke 
upon my understanding, of a Sidney upon my political 
principles, of a Chatham upon qualities which, would to 
God, I possessed in common with that illustrious man; 
of a Tillotson, a Sherlock, and a Porteus upon my religion. 



166 LETTERS FROM EUROPE, 

This is a British influence I can never shake off." True, 
we have uprisen against England : we have twice wrested 
laurels from her brow; but she says we are welcome to 
them, for they are laurels won by her own children; and 
although a mutual prejudice exists between us, we can 
not forget that we are one people. The English, although 
they denounced the Mexican war, gloried in the triumphs 
of American arms at Monterey and Buena Vista, at Vera 
Cruz and Cerro Gordo ; and Americans, while they may 
question the wisdom of the present European war, read 
with exultation of the gallant bearing of Lord Raglan's 
troops at the Alma, Balaklava, and Inkermann. 

RESERVE. 

Let us, however, point out a few characteristics whicli 
are peculiar to the English. They are a reserved people. 
This is what we might expect. As the English Govern- 
ment rules an island separated only by a narrow channel 
from a continent, whence in early times she suffered re- 
peated and destructive invasions, and received, success- 
ively, Roman, Saxon, Danish, and Norman masters — a 
continent which is still possessed by nations differing 
from them in race, religion, and interest; it is not sur- 
prising that they should look with jealousy upon the 
stranger, or that this feeling should descend from the 
court to the nobility, and from the nobility to the people, 
as the oil descended from the head of Aaron to his 
beard, and from his beard to the skirts of his garments. 
Do not understand me that the English are uncivil — the 
reverse is true; by civility I mean a disposition to oblige. 
Every occupation being crowded, competition brings all 
working classes under obligation to please. In new 
countries, where living is easy, and people are few, men 
feel independent, and seem, in their manners, to say, 
"If you do not like my goods, you may let them alone-; 



ENGLISH CIVILITY. 167 

and if you buy them you are under as much obligation to 
me as I to you." Not so in P^ngland; porter, barber, 
clerk, shopkeeper, waiting maid, all meet you with a smile 
and a bow, or a courtesy; they receive the most trifling 
sum with a "thank you" — not with the words clipped at 
both ends, but like a guinea from the die — not mouthed 
or whispered, but uttered with emphasis, as if they had 
been practicing Mr. Bronson's method of exploding the 
vowels. No servants better than the English; rteat and 
nimble, they are cheerful to respond to your slightest 
calls, and expert in executing your most troublesome 
orders. Take an introduction to an Englishman, and he 
will receive you with a bow, take you by the hand, and 
perhaps express his gratification that the common friend 
has laid him under obligations by the introductory note 
you bear; he will probably offer you a glass of wine, and 
ask if he can be of service to you; if you express a wish 
to be made acquainted with A., B., and C., in his circle 
of friends, he will, perhaps, send you letters of introduc- 
tion to them in an envelop by the next morning's post. 
But all this civility is formal. You may never see or 
hear any thing more of your civil acquaintance unless you 
want to buy something of him. The civility of the 
British has another drawback ; they seem suspicious. A 
gentleman may travel all over our country without being 
taken for a rogue, and may sometimes leave a barber or a 
tavern without paying his bill and have to send it next 
day by mail, but he will have no opportunity to do so in 
England. He will not even be permitted to get out of 
an omnibus till his four pence is paid, for the conductor, 
with all his bows and hearty "Thank you's," will hold 
fast the door till he has deposited the fare in his pocket. 
He will not be permitted to turn round in a store without 
being watched as a mouse by a cat. Now, all this is 
called cautioHj and where there are so many needy men 



168 LETTERS FROM EUROPE. 

and so many roguish, ones, it may be necessary; neverthe- 
less, to an American backwoodsman, who has seen the 
latch-string out of the door, it is somewhat provoking. 

When I say that the English, are reserved, I do not 
mean to assert that they are not polite. Politeness is 
more than civility; civility is the opposite of rudeness, 
politeness of indifference. The former smooths the inter- 
course of a7/ classes; the latter sweetens the intercourse 
of gendenien, and lends a charm to all their words and 
actions; it is studious to please, it anticipates the wants 
and wishes of others; it is tolerant of their errors, indul- 
gent to their weaknesses, and without being officious, is 
full of the most delicate attentions. All this may be 
found in France; it maybe found in England too, but 
not often by the stranger. To me, London was, socially, 
one great ice-house of eight miles radius. Now and 
then, indeed, the ice thawed, and the current of human 
emotion flowed. But no one asked me who I was, or how 
I did? or where I was from? or for what I came? or 
indeed any other question, except those few to wbom I 
brought letters of introduction, or with whom I had 
business. A minister coming from Europe among his 
brethren in this country, will be received with open arms, 
will be introduced within the chancel, ay, and the pulpit 
too, and the only fear he may entertain in the church is, 
that he may have more service to perform than he can 
well endure. A minister going from the United States 
may spend a whole month in London, may board and 
move along among people of his own faith, and yet no 
one may ask him either to read, pray, preach, say 
grace, or sing psalms. 

The whole explanation has been anticipated — the Eng- 
lisb are remarkably reserved. They do not like to be in- 
terrogated; they abominate the public gaze; they dread 
any scrutiny into their business or character; they 



ENGLISH RESERVE. 169 

delight in privacy. In no other country is /tome such a 
castle; though it be a hovel, and though, as Lord Erskine 
says, "the winds of heaven may enter it at all corners," 
yet it is the Englishman's pride that a king can not, a 
king dare not cross its threshold without his permission. 
In no other land is the human bosum such a sanctuary ; 
the Briton likes to sing and sigh, to act and suifer, to 
plan and execute alone. Like an ancient general, he 
would burn his cloak if it could tell his secrets. He is 
willing to utter — forward, indeed, to promulgate his prin- 
ciples; but when you have no business to Icnoiv them, 
you will not find it easy to get them. Queen Elizabeth's 
answer to Queen Mary's (j^uestion about transubstantiation 
is characteristic : 

"Christ was the word that spake it, 
He took the bread and brake it, 
And what the word doth make it, 
That I believe, and take it." 

And thus she saved both her principles and her life. 
Now, they take it for granted that what is pleasing to 
them must be so to others; hence they think that they 
can show you no higher respect than to let you alone; 
and whatever they may learn concerning you, without 
your privity, they deem it the hight of politeness to act 
as though they knew nothing. The arrangements of 
their taverns, their cars, and their steamboats have all 
been suggested by this peculiarity. If, however, they can 
be assured that you desire them to inquire into your char- 
acter and cultivate your acquaintance, and can be certi- 
fied that you are upon the same social level with them- 
selves, they are as kind and sociable as any people in the 
world. The work of Shakspeare is itself a sufficient 
proof of this; it could not have been produced among an 
unsocial people. A genuine Yankee may intrude him- 
self among them, and soon find himself at home; but if 

15 



170 LETTERS FROM EUROPE. 

you are somewliat reserved yourself, and having re- 
sources in external nature and in tlie monuments of the 
country, determine to be "a looker-on in Vienna/' you 
will present a negative pole to a negative, and experi- 
ence nothing but repulsion. We have read of the hermit 
in Lon-don; it seems like a fiction to one who has never 
been there, but really the metropolis of England is one 
of the best places in the world for a hermitage. A man 
once undertook to make a hermit of himself in the woods 
of Ohio, but we soon ran a highway past the mouth of 
his cave. Had the poor fellow gone to London nobody 
would have troubled him. 

The English are not wont to make lions. An amusing 
illustration of the difference between English and Amer- 
ican character occurred at a town on the shore of Lake 
Erie. Mr. Dickens — the novelist — and his lady, on their 
way through the country, stopped there for a day or two. 
Putting up at the leading hotel, they called for private 
rooms, from which they could look out upon the beautiful 
bosom of the Lake. It was soon reported that they were 
in town, and gentleman after gentleman, and lady after 
lady, in their kindness, called to pay their respects to the 
strangers; but in vain. The travelers had no idea of 
being turned into lions; and as they did not know the 
persons who called, they declined to see them. The 
boarders at the house were congratulating themselves 
upon their good fortune, and went to meals in high 
spirits, anticipating the company of the English author 
and his beautiful lady, and the unspeakable privilege of 
shaking them by the hand, and enjoying their society. 
But, alas ! Mr. Dickens directed his meals to be served in 
his private apartments. The Americans were persever- 
ing, and having their eagerness sharpened by denial, they 
laid a plan by which they felt sure they could compass 
their end. They made a supper in honor of the distin- 



A STRANGE PECULIARITY. 171 

guished strangers, and sent up flattering cards of invita- 
tion to them. All tilings went happily. The foreigners, 
richly dressed, duly appeared in the drawing-room, were 
duly introduced, lauded, feasted, and toasted. Many 
amusing and flattering incidents connected with the 
author enlivened the evening, and the citizens retired de- 
lighted with the honors both which they had received 
and bestowed. The next day the guests departed, when, 
lo 1 it was ascertained that Mr. and Mrs. Dickens, instead 
of appearing themselves at the feast, had sent down their 
man-servant and maid-servant, dressed up for the occasion. 

No American — not even John Eandolph himself — could 
have acted so. Had the President and his lady visited 
the smallest village in the United States, they would have 
received the attentions of the citizens with pleasure, and 
reflected upon them with emotions of gratitude. The 
English writer thought the profi"ered politeness an intru- 
sion upon his private rights, and an attempt to pry into 
his business, which called for an expression of his resent- 
ment. Had he been sick or dying, he would have 
deemed an attempt to see or assist him as still more off"en- 
sive. He would have said, " Let no stranger gaze upon 
my infirmities, or disturb the silence and sanctity of my 
dying chamber. If I need assistance or sympathy I will 
send for it and pay for it." An American dying in an 
English village, without the visits or sympathies of any 
but his surgeon, his chaplain, and his nurse, would have 
said, "Carry my bones away from this land; let me not 
be buried among such a selfish, unfeeling, unchristian 
people." But he who thinks the English are a heartless 
people is mistaken. I confess, however, it was difficult 
for me to receive this saying when I left London. 

At Portsmouth some of my relatives reside, and as I 
had no claims to collect, and no disputed inheritance to 
look up, I succeeded in finding them. They made me 



172 LETTERS FROM EUROPE. 

ride quarantine awliile, till tliey were assured tliat all 
was riglit, and tlien the social ice broke, the tide rose, 
and I sailed into port. And now winter became summer, 
and the north pole the equator. The hall, the hearth- 
stone, the table, the garden, the grove — the whole land 
was rich with the honey of sympathy, and flowing with 
the milk of human kindness. Not only were my kin- 
dred kind, but the whole circle in which they moved, so 
that ladies of whom I had never heard, and who had 
never heard of me, surrounded me as if they had been 
the sisters of my mother. With a constant effort to 
please me, there was a studied avoidance of every thing 
calculated to displease. Allow me a little dialogue : 

"America," said I, "is proud of her British mothei*." 

" Not prouder than Britain of her American daughter," 
was the prompt reply. 

" Well may you be proud of her ; for she is the most 
glorious country on earth. I extol her soil, her char- 
acter, her institutions, social, civil, and ecclesiastical, one 
thing only excepted — slavery — for which I have neither 
defense nor apology to make." 

One lady responded, as if to relieve me, and change 
the subject, "We have something well-nigh as bad — our 
gin-shop." But the subject was not once named after- 
ward. Nothing would have been more easy, more nat- 
ural, or more safe for them than to have indulged in a 
tirade against our heinous sin ; but it would have been 
like beating an unarmed captive, and a Briton would not 
do it. 

An aged gentleman said, jocosely, "What is the 
reason that you Americans are the greatest boasters in 
the world ?" 

" Simply because we have the gi-eatest country in the 
world. Five hundred miles' travel takes you from one 
extremity of your country to the other; you must go 



AN ILLINOIS COAL-FIELD. 173 

three thousand miles before you fairly get into ours. Pile 
up your mountains one upon another, and set them ia 
one of our immense ranges, and you will scarcely con- 
vince us that you have made any addition to it. Put all 
your cascades together, and add them to Niagara, and it 
will bo but as the fly upon the bull's horn. Unite all 
your streams, and pour them into the Mississippi to- 
night, and the people on its banks will not know, when 
they get up to-morrow, that any thing has happened. 
Then, to abundance of land and water, we add abund- 
ance of milk and honey, of corn and meat. The Missis- 
sippi Valley alone would victual the world." 

"True," he replied, "you have some great advantages; 
but you are wanting in others. For example : that which 
gives to England its manufacturing importance, and 
which makes our cities of the north outgrow our cities 
of the south — coal. And then it seems to me that the 
absence of nobility is a great social disadvantage. It is 
nobility which gives dignity, elevation, and polish to 
society." 

"We arc not altogether destitute of coal. We have 
one small bed, called the coal-field of Illinois, which 
runs through Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois, which is larger 
than the whole of England; and if you will wait till we 
scoop some of it out, and then bring your island over, we 
will drop it in, and thus annex you. As to nobility, it, 
perhaps, has never occurred to you that we have nobody 
to make nobles of. We realize Pyrrhus's idea of the 
Romans — a nation of kings." Then, with all the pom- 
pousness I could assume, I made my bow, and said, "You 
are now in company of one of the royal family of the 
United States of America." 

I was expecting a little badinage in reply; but the 
company was so polite that they listened and replied with 
all the gravity and measured decorum of philosophers. 



174 LETTERS FROM EUROPE, 

Shakspeare has drawn this peculiarity of British charac- 
ter in the precepts of Polonius : 

" Give thy ttoughts no tongue; 
Nor any unproportioned thought his act. 
Be thou familiar, but by no means vulgar; 
The friends thou hast, and their adoption tried, 
Grapple them to thy soul with hooks of steel ; 
But do not dull thy palm with entertainment 
Of each new-hatched, unfledged comrade. Beware 
Of entrance to a quarrel, but, being in, 
Bear it, that the oppressor may beware of thee. 
Give every man thine ear, but few thy voice. 
Take each man's censure, but renene thy judgment." 

Tou will find exceptions, as you will to every general 
rule. I met with one on my return passage. He was a 
young parish priest. "We had scarce set sail before he 
was playing with some French children, and seeking, 
through them, an acquaintance with their parents. Next 
he is sketching, in pencil, the countenance of the seasick 
passengers, and drawing crowds toward him, who laugh 
over his shoulders as they gaze upon his caricatures. 
Presently he is promenading with some ladies, to whom 
he has begged an introduction. Next day, being Sab- 
bath, he is preaching a sermon on prayer; now he is 
in the smoke-room, puffing his cigar, and passing jokes 
among the crowd that he has attracted and delighted. 
Anon he is playing shuffle-board with some of the more 
sedate. As evening draws on, he is found playing cards 
with the ladies, or chess among the men. At midnight 
your slumbers are disturbed by strange noises, and, ruiv 
bing your eyes, you find it is the parson leading a choir 
of rowdies, pleasantly inspired, not with spirit divine, 
but spirit of wine, singing songs, but not such as the 
psalmist used to sing. 

"I like a parson," said a drunken Englishman, as he 
tapped him on the shoulder, one afternoon, and uncorked 



A POPULAR PREACHER. 175 

another bottle, ^^ I like a parson that is hail fellow, well 
met." 

He soon became the most popular man on board. All 
agreed that he was clever. He preached well ; he sang 
well; he played cards, and checkers, and chess well; he 
ate, and drank, and smoked well ; and as to shuffle-board, 
he could beat us all. Nor was he by any means stingy. 
He treated others as often, at least, as he was treated 
himself. Moreover, he was lucky. When he made a 
bet, he generally won, and pocketed the money. He 
raffled for a lady's watch, and won it. While throw- 
ing the dice, he presented a most perfect picture 
of animal delight — extending himself at full length 
upon the table, he threw up his heels like a kitten, and 
when it was announced that he was the winner, he ran 
off with his prize in a perfect ecstasy of joy. 

I was seated near by, conversing with another parish 
priest, who was of a very different spirit, and to whom I 
could but remark that his brother minister illustrated at 
least one passage of Scripture; namely, that "godliness 
is i>rofitahU to all things." As he became all things to 
all men, it is to be hoped that he saved some; and surely 
his companions needed the "benefit of clergy." The 
prospect was rather encouraging, as the passengers gen- 
erally recognized his high office, addressing him as Mr. 
"Minister Extraordinary and Embassador Plenipoten- 
tiary." He had been nicely educated at Oxford, where 
he doubtless enjoyed the life of an Oxonian buck; and, 
after a suitable display of spirit in appetite and dressing, 
in bottle and riot, he took his bachelor's degree, and 
went forth to the cure of a thousand souls at ninety 
pounds a year. He was, no doubt, in the regular suc- 
cession, or our captain, who is very j)articular, would not 
have selected him to officiate in divine service. He 
would not allow Henry Ward Beecher to preach on his 



176 LETTERS FROM EUROPE. 

boat, because forsootb lie did not, in any sense, deem him 
properly ordained. 

I refer to the case from no disrespect to the English 
Church, which I own and honor as an instrument in the 
reformation of religion and the salvation of the world, 
and as the fountain of the richest stream of uninspired 
literature that ever refreshed the earth; but, as an ex- 
ception to English character, I fear there are many such 
exceptions among the higher clergy, though the poor 
curates are among the best men in the world. 



DR. BELL. • 177 



3tiitx %^t\\ixti\. 

STABILIT Y. 

THE English people are constant in their attachments, 
steady in their pursuits, resolute in their purposes, 
and conservatory in their institutions. Their motto 
seems to be, " Fear thou the Lord and the king, and 
meddle not with them that are given to change." They 
can, indeed, sometimes be induced to innovate, though 
slowly and reluctantly; and, till a change has been 
legally made, they guard the existing status and enforce 
the existing rule strictly. 

The law of the family is enforced, so is that of the 
scliool. The parent generally meets the child's com- 
plaints against his teacher with rebuke or chastisement. 
Dr. Bell, in his Autobiography, instances the case of a 
little boy, who, on his return from school after a merci- 
less flogging, was observed to sit very uneasy; the father 
examined him, and although he saw that a great wound 
had been made, he merely observed, " There is room for 
another." He, however, remonstrated with the master, 
but without letting the child know it. Happily there is 
less of feudal severity in England now than formerly, 
though the English are not up to the standard of certain 
parts of the world, where the school, instead of consist- 
ing of the teachers and the taught, is a sort of legisla- 
tive body with an ^ipjier and lower house. 

The military law is strictly enforced. When the poet 
Coleridge, in a fit of melancholy, presented himself for 



178 LETTERS FROM EUROPE. 

enlistment in tte Englisli army, the recruiting officer, 
noticing his slender person, delicate hands, and pallid 
face, said to him, "What business have you in the 
ranks? Could you run a Frenchman through?" His 
reply was peculiarly English : " I can let a Frenchman 
run me through." The charge of the light cavalry di- 
vision at Balaklava was madness, but English madness — 
in obedience to the law. The commander-in-chief said, 
''Nearer to the enemy, if practicable;" the aiddecamp 
who conveyed the order omitted the qualification. The 
Lieutenant-General said, "Whither shall we move?" 
The aid significantly replied, " There, my lord, is your 
enemy, and there are your guns." " Forward, march \" 
and onward they swept, with battery in front and batter- 
ies in flank — onward to death ! Lord Ellenborough well 
said, in the British Parliament, that this charge was 
without a parallel. We have heard of cavalry charging 
cavalry, of cavalry charging infantry, of cavalry charging 
artillery; but never before of cavalry charging infantry, 
cavalry, and artillery, all belonging to an army in 
position. 

"Stand to your post if you die." When did the 
English show mercy to a soldier that did not? One 
might suppose that if they could, they would have done 
so in the case of Admiral Byng — the noble son of a 
noble father; that father's sword had won Gibraltar, 
maintained British honor in the Baltic and the Mediter- 
ranean; driven the Pretender from the shores of Scot- 
land, and protected Italian coasts from Spanish arma- 
ments ; that son had served side by side with his father 
in his toils and triumphs, and by his own merits raised 
himself, step by step, to the rank of admiral. What was 
his fault ? Not that he had surrendered without a 
battle, not that he had not fought at Fort St. Philip, but 
that he had made a hesitating instead of a bold attack. 



NELSON. 179 

He is tried and condemned. Neither his great name, his 
princely fortune, his honorable descent, his long and glo- 
rious services, nor the recommendation of the court could 
save him. He is shot. I walked round the elegant man- 
sion and grounds in ■which he lived, in company with 
one who reflects the feeling of his countrymen, and 
found that among Britons there is no relenting toward 
the fallen admiral. 

The English idea of military excellence is embodied 
in Nelson — a name honored above all others in his native 
land. It is chiseled in the first dock we saw at Liver- 
pool ; it looks down upon us from the court of the Liver- 
pool Exchange ; it stands highest upon the bank of the 
Thames, noblest in the crypt of St. Paul's, and proudest 
in the great naval depot, the harbor of Portsmouth. Nor 
need we wonder at this. *' At Waterloo England fought 
for victory, at Trafalgar for existence." There rides 
Nelson's flag-ship — the Victory. 

As a sailor rowed me in a wherry to her side, he said, 
"We shall never have another Nelson; no; never, never, 
never ! I know we shan't." On the upper deck of the 
vessel is a brass-plate inscribed with the words, "Here 
Nelson fell." Below you are shown the cold cockpit, 
where, seated on the floor and leaning against a stanch- 
eon, he breathed his last. Here, in this vast hull, tow- 
ering above the waters, amid this triple battery of guns, 
through whose formidable muzzles Nelson spoke to the 
enemy — on the decks which once were slippery with his 
blood, the British train and educate boys into sailors. 
And what was Nelson's history ? He inherited a deli- 
cate constitution, and his health was well-nigh destroyed 
by repeated attacks of ague; the hardships of a sailor's 
life, on which he entered in his youth, were too much 
for him, and his early sufi"erings at sea were intense. 
Nor were fatigues and dangers all that he endured : the 



180 LETTERS EROM EUROPE. 

ignorance and blasphemy of the marines were more dis- 
tressing to his young heart than outward storms or phys- 
ical pains. Nor was his gentle spirit unwounded by the 
fact that he passed eight years before the mast ere he 
attained even the rank of midshipman. Scarce had he 
landed in India before a sickness seized him which 
allowed him no hope of recovery unless he returned to 
Europe. He was miserable, the subject of anxieties and 
agonies that almost crushed him to the dust. There he 
lay upon the deck of the vessel that was conveying him 
home; to him the sky had lost its brightness, the earth 
its greenness, the sea its freshness, and even the words 
father, mother, and home had lost their charms. Within 
himself he says, " I shall never rise in my profession ; 
I have no interest to obtain the object of my ambition. 
0, that I were drowned !" Sudden as a flash of light- 
ning, light broke in upon his gloomy soulj the image 
of his country rose before him as his friend; instantly 
he is a new man ; the fire of patriotism is kindled in his 
breast, and he cries out, " Onward, my soul, through 
every danger." " A radiant orb," to use his own words, 
"filled his mind's eye," and led him upward, upward, till 
he died. Neither the abuse of the lawless, nor the perils 
of the sea, nor the ingratitude of his country, aor the 
power of her foes deterred him. See him at Bastia and 
Calvi shouting his men onward, while his right eye, 
mingled with blood, flows down his face. See him, with- 
out either right eye or right arm, seeking in the Medi- 
terranean for the enemy's superior force, and when he 
finds it strongly moored across the entrance of Aboukir 
Bay, moving forward to the attack, crying, "A peerage 
or a grave !" Behold him gathering fresh laurels from 
the billows of the Baltic. But mark his last day, and 
see how the sentiment of the boy bears up the man. 
Nelson supposes it to be to him at once the day of battle 



BRITISH CIVIL LAW. 181 

and of death. Light breezes, with a long, heavy swell, 
are bearing his fleet rapidly, steadily, majestically down 
upon the enemy's double and well-drawn line. All is 
ready. Nelson says one thing is wanting, the signal; 
instantly he gives it: "England expects every man to do 
his duty I" No sooner is it suspended than it is received 
with a shout from ship to ship throughout the fleet on 
which he had breathed his own great spirit. Now is the 
heat of battle; the decks are slippery with blood, the 
cockpits are filled with the dying, and the sails with the 
dead. What says the commander? "I thank God for 
this great opportunity of doing my duty!" And now he 
is mortally wounded; men can do nothing but fan his 
face, allay his death-thirst, and receive his dying whis- 
per; and what is it? "I thank God that I have done 
my dnt^." 

Nor need we wonder that Britain should endeavor to re- 
produce this spirit in her sons. She considers herself 
set for the defense of liberty and Protestantism in the 
old world, "backed up only by God and the seas." 

The civil law is rigidly enforced. Judge Lynch does 
not often attempt to hold court in England, and when he 
does his officers are generally interrupted by the bayonet. 
Now, against this formidable personage I do not bring any 
railing accusation; indeed, all that is necessary is to do 
his honor justice. He himself generally does justice; 
the only trouble is, that he does not do it judicialli/ ; 
and when justice is executed without authority of gov- 
ernment, and without the forms of law, it is not only 
prone to exceed due measure, but to arm every man 
against his fellow, to weaken the bonds of society, and 
drive men from civilization to barbarism. Of this truth 
England was deeply impressed on many occasions in her 
early history. Let one instance serve for example : In 
the reign of Edward I an English and a Norman sailor 



182 LETTERS PROM EUROPE. 

quarreled at Bayonne, and tlae former killed the latter. 
The crew to which the deceased belonged complained to 
the French king, who bade them revenge themselves. 
They seized an English vessel in the channel, hanged 
several of the crew at the yard-arm along with some 
dogs, and departed, saying it was the satisfaction for 
blood. The British soon retaliated most fearfully upon 
the ships of France, till at length the whole marine of 
both nations were involved, and a battle ensued, in which 
the French were routed with a loss of 15,000 men. 
Thus the governments were compelled to enter upon war, 
which they did with an enmity that exists to this day, 
mitigated, however, by current events. In such modes 
England learned that law is the voice of God — the 
harmony of the world. 

When Prince Henry — afterward Henry V — inter- 
rupted the Court of King's Bench, Chief Justice Gas- 
coigne instantly committed him to custody. When the 
king, his father, heard it, he exclaimed, "Thank God 
that I have a judge who knows how to administer law, 
and a son who knows how to obey it." A lawyer of New 
York — Mr. Woodruff, who perished in the Arctic — walk- 
ing ashore with me at Liverpool, remarked, as he pointed 
to a file of policemen marching to their beats, "All over 
England the law is supreme." Though the meanest rebel 
shotild fire at the most popular sovereign, and though ten 
thousand sabers might leap from the thighs of guards 
and nobles, no one of them could cut him down; bayo- 
nets would surround him and march him safely through 
the crowd, and guardians of the law would see that not 
a hair of his head should be hurt till Justice had delib- 
erately weighed him in her balance, and, in due form of 
law, pronounced him wanting. The sentence of law, 
once pronounced, is usually executed — neither the prison- 
gate nor the scaffold is trifled with. Witness the case of 



DR. DODD. 183 

Doctor DoJd. Ilis offense was forgery. His talents, liis 
learning, liis accomplishments, his writings, his reputa- 
tion, his relations, his intimacy with the nobility, all 
pleaded — trumpet- tongucd — in his behalf. The Church, 
weeping, prayed; literature, through her most gifted 
son — Doctor Johnson — entreated; nobility, in robes of 
office, interceded; the populace, relenting, sent their pe- 
titions to the throne ; the blessed Bible, on which he had 
commented, seemed to lift up its voice in supplication 
that he might be spared; but all in vain. Justice leads 
him to the scaffold. The English pride themselves upon 
the act as one which not only entitles them to honor, but 
which has greatly promoted the interests of the island, 
by giving a greater security to the operations of com- 
merce. The cause is not a solitary one; that of Fauntle- 
roy is a similar one, of more recent occurrence. The 
crown lost its richest jewel — the United States — in a 
vain attempt to support what it deemed the majesty of 
law, though, in this instance, it is settled that New Eng- 
land was right, and old England wrong. So thought the 
English people at the time — all but the corrupt adminis- 
tration. There is a strict enforcement of ecclesiastical 
law. Doctrines, being intangible, can not well be en- 
forced, but forms can. I entered a gorgeous church, in 
the most public street of Liverpool, on Tuesday morning, 
about eleven o'clock, and found one man in the pulpit, 
another in the reading-desk, proceeding with the service, 
while the only hearer was the sexton. When I went in, 
all seemed to be surprised; but the reader, pausing a 
moment, resumed in a more audible tone, when he found 
that I expected to hear. It was the law that they should 
read and pray at that hour, and so they did. 

Doctor Knox, in his work on Universities, introduces 
the following : Every Thursday morning, in term time, 
there ought to be a divinity lecture in the divinity school. 



184 LETTERS FROM EUROPE. 

at Oxford. Two gentlemen of our house went out, one 
day, to hear what the learned professor had to say upon 
that subject. These two were joined by another Master 
of Arts, who, without arrogance, might think that they 
understood divinity enough to be his auditors, and that, 
consequently, his lecture would not be lost upon them; 
but the doctor thought otherwise, who came at last, and 
was very much surprised to find an audience. He took 
two or three turns about the school, and then said, 
" Magist7-i, vos non estis idonei ; prseterea juxta legis doc- 
torem Boucher tres non faciunt coUegmm, valete," and so 
went away. The law required more than three to make 
an audience, and he could not violate it. 

In the same university every freshman who came 
elected from a public school, till very lately, was obliged 
to swear to a great volume of statutes, which he never 
read, and to observe a thousand customs, rites, and priv- 
ileges, of which he knew nothing. The oath was admin- 
istered for ages after its propriety or necessity had ceased, 
and, indeed, ages after it was nothing but a snare to the 
conscience. Among these oaths was one that the person 
was not possessed of any inheritance in land, nor a per- 
petual pension of five pounds a year. A young man of 
wealth, who had some conscience, made over all his 
estate to his chamber-maid, then locked the old woman 
up in his closet, took the oath of matriculation, and, re- 
turning, canceled the writings, and let the old lady out. 

Within a few weeks past a committee was appointed by 
the new Hebdomidal Council, to inquire into the neces- 
sity of adapting the University Examination statute, as 
regards the theological part of it, to the requirements of 
the University Keform bill of the last session of Parlia- 
ment, which committee has reported unanimously in favor 
of retaining the examination exactly as it stands, so tena- 
cious are the English of existing usages and forms. 



ADHERENCE TO LEGITIMACY. 185 

During the present season a British army has been dying 
at the rate of ninety or one hundred a day, in an enemy's 
country, for want of food and clothing, with plenty, 
seven miles off, withheld for want of form only. 

The attachment of the British to legitimacy is strong. 
Although they hold, as we, that the only fundamental 
principle of government is expediency, and its only right 
that given by the municipal law, or peaceable possession; 
yet, both by feeling and taste, they incline to the theory 
which attributes legitimacy to hereditary monarchy — 
while we attribute all power to the people. Hence, they 
have endured, with great reluctance, every deviation from 
the right line of royal succession. Foreign birth, foreign 
education, foreign prejudices, an odious faith, an abomin- 
able character, and a feeble intellect, have all been toler- 
ated on the throne, again and again, if only they have 
been in the regular line. Stephen found his intrusion 
upon the throne both painful and perilous; nor was the 
nation which his usurpation had disturbed settled, till 
the rightful heir — Young Henry II — obtained the crown. 
When Henry IV pushed aside the royal heir it was with 
violence and blood, that ceased not till the rival roses 
were blended in Henry VII. Although the tyranny and 
perfidy of Charles I led to a revolution, it was soon 
followed by a reaction, in which his worthless son was re- 
called with an enthusiasm that knew no limits. Stern as 
was the necessity that drove James II fiom the throne, 
and settled the succession upon his Protestant descend- 
ants, the revolution of 1688 was not effected without dif- 
ficulty, nor did the new arrangement for many years rest 
quietly, as the battles of Boyne and La Hogue, in one 
reign, that of Dunblain in another, and those of Preston 
Pans, Falkirk, and Culloden in a third, testify. Under 
Henry VIII, Queen Mary, and Queen Elizabeth, the 
country suffered a change of her liturgy, her faith, her 

16 



186 LETTERS FROM EUROPE. 

religion, three times, in the short space of about thirty 
years, rather than displace the sovereign. This loyalty 
may be accounted for when we look into English history. 
Whenever the succession has been disturbed, the strug- 
gles for the crown have flooded the Island in fraternal 
blood. In the war of the roses, which lasted thirty 
years, there were twelve desperate pitched battles, in 
which eighty princes of the blood, with uncounted mul- 
titudes of subjects, fell. Saint Albans, Bloreheath, 
Northampton, Nottingham, Townton, Banbury, Bosworth, 
Worcester, Barnet, Tewkesbury, Alford, Dunbar, Edge 
Hill, Marston Moor, Naseby — indeed, the whole map of 
England is covered with flags, reminding us at every spot 
of 

"That day the trumpets pealed — 

How in the slippery swamp of blood 
"Warrior and war-horse reeled ; 

How wolves came with fierce gallop, 
And crows, on eager wings, 

To tear the flesh of captains. 
And peck the eyes of kings." 

England shows her conservatism in her tenacity for the 
balance of poicer in Europe. For this she engaged in 
the war of the Austrian succession; for this, at the close 
of the last century and the beginning of the present, she 
proudly endured the shock of battle with almost the 
entire continent; for this she is now sending her troops 
to the Crimea. It is curious to notice the difi'erence be- 
tween Lord John Russell's statements and those of Louis 
Napoleon in regard to the object of the present war. 
The former says he is contending for the four points; 
namely, the joint protectorate of the principalities by the 
five powers; the free navigation of the Danube; the re- 
vision of the treaty of 1841, ''in the interests of the 
balance of power," the object of which revision is to de- 
prive Russia of the privilege of sending her fleet to the 



CUSTOMS AND USAGES. 187 

Bosphorus; and the assurance on the part of the Sultan 
of equal rights to Turks and Christians under his scepter. 
All this means, simply, " Preserve the present status." 
The French Emperor says, "We are fighting in a cause 
in which our own greatness, the interests of civilization, 
and the liberties of Europe are at the same time involv- 
ed." The meaning of this is, "The Bear must be 
crippled." 

They exhibit a strange reluctance to encroach upon the 
existing order any farther than is necessary to prevent 
the dissolution of that order. This it is that upholds the 
nobility, and excludes the poor from the polls. 

There is in England a strict adherence to custom, 
usage, and prescription. If a judge should appear upon 
the bench without a wig, or a bishop in his chair without 
his lawn, he would be laughed to scorn. It is not uncom- 
mon to see inferior men in high stations, ecclesiastical, 
civil, and military, while superior ones are acting as sub- 
ordinates. Why is it? Because of the principle of seni- 
ority; men, whatever their talents or attainments, must 
pass regularly through the different grades of office. 
True, in time of peace great wealth or political influence 
may sometimes purchase promotion in advance; and in 
time of war brilliant feats in the field may win commis- 
sions in the rank; and, at any time, great genius, like a 
granite mountain moved by volcanic force, piercing the 
superincumbent strata, may suddenly rise — but these are 
exceptions. 



188 LETTERS FROM EUROPE. 



SLOWNESS AND INFLEXIBILITY. 

"DUSINESS life is hedged about witli forms wliich may 
-^ not be transgressed. This is, perhaps, one reason 
why the English are so slow — in hand, eye, and foot. A 
Parisian said to me, "You Americans are the rapid na- 
tion. You do every thing in a hurry; you eat dinner 
all down at once; you say nothing at table; and it is 
not because you have so much to do, for I go out after 
dinner and see you seated under the piazza or on the 
balcony, smoking or whittling; you smash up an express 
train, and get out another engine and whistle on; you 
blow up a steamboat, and getting on another you proceed 
as if nothing had happened; you make politicians in a 
hurry. When I was in the United States I asked Gov- 
ernor Marcy if he talked French. He says, 'Don't 
bother me with your French ; we are the great nation, 
you must all learn our language.' You send Mr. Walsh 
for consul; good man — speaks French — but is dull of 
hearing. You send Mr. Mason for embassador; great 
man, but he can not speak French. Thus you send us a 
consul who can not hear, and an embassador who can not 
speak." I traveled side by side one night with a Greek ; 
toward morning, finding that he understood a little 
English, I entered into conversation with him on " Amer- 
ica;" says he, "great country — go fast — many parties — 
locomotive party now on the wheels of government." 
''No, no; locofoco you mean;" and then I explained how 



NATIONAL TARDINESS. 189 

the Democratic party became so termed. He laughed 
and said, '-'0, I thought him locomotive, because he go 
ahead so fast." But the compliment can not be be- 
stowed upon the English. If they are at one extreme, 
we are at the other. They eat slowly; even the middle 
class spend hours over the dinner-table ; if sitting down 
at three you rise before six, they think you hurry from 
your wine. 

At New York, on my way to Europe, I handed a list 
of books to a bookseller, that he might afl&x his prices 
to it, which he did in about two hours. I put the same 
into the hands of London booksellers, and could get no 
one of them to do the same in less than a week. They 
must be sure they are right before they move ; if you are 
in a hurry, so much the more are they not; they seem to 
fear that they will be cheated — that you have some 
information concerning the market which they have not. 
If they ever get into a hurry they wait till their hurry 
is over before they do any thing. 

The war in the cast affords a fit illustration of the 
national tardiness. How cautiously did Napier feel about 
and about in the Baltic for the Czar's suspected infernal 
engines I How slowly did Lord Baglan advance; how 
coolly does he stand in the trenches before one of the 
strongest fortresses, icaiting and watting for reinforce- 
ments ! The Earl of Derby said with much force in 
Parliament, that the words, "Too late," might be written 
on all the actions of Government in the present war. 
They were too late in declaring war, too late in sending 
their fleet to the Black Sea, too late in sending an army 
to Turkey, too late in making their preparations. He 
might have added, too late in sailing from Varna, too 
late in sending reinforcements, too late in the siege. 
An American army in Lord Kaglan's parallels would, I 
verily believe, have blown up Sevastopol, or blown them- 



190 LETTERS FROM EUROPE, 

selves up before dog-days were over. Perhaps I overrate 
the promptitude and energy of Americans, but I think 
not. 

The British are inflexible; they can not well adapt 
themselves to new circumstances. Each man devotes 
himself to his particular calling for life, till at length 
his mind and muscles become automatic. The animate 
machinery of their factories moves with nearly the same 
precision, steadiness, and inflexibility too, as the inani- 
mate. Agriculturists, merchants, and professional gen- 
tlemen all have a narrow walk and measured pace. 
What they do they do well, but they can do nothing else. 
The Englishman is in domestic life as in business. He 
rises and retires, eats and drinks, dresses and smokes by 
a rule which has come down from his ancestors. He is 
generally reared on the same spot and in the same em- 
ployment as his great, great grandfather. The descend- 
ants of Perkis — the man who carried the corpse of King 
William II to Winchester — are, or were till lately, on 
the same spot which he occupied and in the same em- 
ployment. Wool-growers are wool-growers, and cheese- 
mongers are cheesemongers from generation to genera- 
tion. No wonder, for there is no inducement to emigra- 
tion unless you leave the country; no western prairies, 
no unexplored mountains, no unbroken forests, no un- 
opened mines. Hence, although the island is not larger 
than one of our respectable states, yet each county has 
its peculiar dialect which has come down from the days 
of the Saxon Heptarchy. 

The Englishman out of his accustomed circle is at a 
loss. Hence he makes a poor pioneer; in the wilder- 
ness he toils and sufi"ers to little purpose, though he may 
raise up an ofi"spring before whom the forest in which 
he sighed may echo to a cheerful and vigorous ax. We 
often see John Bull commencing operations in new 



COUSIN JONATHAN. 191 

countries with great advantages, but, like poor Hans, 
changing his gold for a horse, his horse for a cow, his 
cow for a pig, his pig for a goose, and his goose for a 
grindstone. How different with his cousin Jonathan ; 
he may go in with a grindstone, but he comes out with 
gold. And because he can do what is to be done — black 
boots, clean stables, peddle essences, pitch tunes, or 
preach funerals. You find him perhaps a schoolmaster 
in one town, a doctor in another, a lawyer in a third, but 
in all his changes he manages to change from the minor 
to the major; he may proceed from sawyer to senator, 
but not from senator to sawyer; he may begin trading 
with half a dozen smooth quarters and be a banker ere- 
long; in seasons of revulsion he may be shaken, but, 
like a cork in the sea, he rises to the top of the wave. 
When the Englishman loses he is generally paralyzed; a 
Yankee, under such circumstances, loses his regret for 
the past in an earnest and hopeful struggle for the 
future. Louis Philippe, who lived in America, once re- 
marked to Lord Brougham, on the eve of the revolutions 
of 1848, that he himself was the only monarch fit to sit 
upon a throne in Europe. Lord Brougham, although he 
called forth the observation by his complimentary strain, 
was surprised at the king's pride, till he presently added, 
"for I have blacked my own boots and can do it again." 
Alas ! he had not been long enough among us. I learned 
enough as I passed around the habitation of his exile, to 
know that he did not fall with American gracefulness. 

In England when a man fails he generally considers 
himself undone for life. Here, if a man pass, without 
failing, through one of those pressures that come upon 
us almost every decade, we deem it rather a reproach, as 
though he had not been as enterprising as his neighbors. 
It was an American who, meeting a friend, after he had 
closed the fourth time, remarked, pleasantly, that he 



192 LETTERS EROM EUROPE. 

tliouglit he should pay forty per cent, this time. 
"Father Richard" once introduced a prayer before the 
Michigan senate with these words, "Thou knowest that 
we each owe a thousand talents, and have not a cent 
wherewith to pay." It was so true literally as well as 
spiritualli/, that it produced a general laugh. The prev- 
alence of the credit system with us accounts, in part, for 
this difference; it is impossible for an American mer- 
chant, without the foresight of a long line of events 
dependent upon the acts of others, to guard against 
failure. The same renders us comparatively easy under 
bankruptcy, as it affords facilities for recovering a lost 
fortune. Still, the chief explanation is to be found in 
the genius of the people. The Englishman is made of 
cast iron, the Yankee of gum-elastic. It was reported 
that out in Wisconsin a machine has been invented to 
go by the force of circumstances. The English were 
making merry over it last summer. I told them it was 
no joke, that we had thousands of such machines; and 
when they said they would be pleased to see one, I made 
my lowest bow. 



ENGLISH PRUDENCE. 



PRUDENCE AND SCRUPULOUSNESS. 

THE English are prudent. They seek the wisdom by 
which a house is builded, the understanding by 
which it is established, and the knowledge by which it 
is filled with pleasant and precious riches. The popula- 
tion being dense, the means of living high, the profits 
of labor small, the drains upon the purse perpetual, and 
the field of speculative enterprise circumscribed, it is 
natural that they should be a penny-saving people. It is 
the property of prudence to forecast. The English do 
not begin to build till they are able to finish, or to fight 
till they have counted the opposing host; and in all 
their calculations they leave a large margin for con- 
tingencies. Their benevolence is cool and well regu- 
lated; it has no bubbling fountains, no overwhelming 
cataracts — but flows in a small, steady, perennial stream, 
originating in undiscovered springs in the mountain's 
side, and often traceable only by the green margin, 
which, while it indicates, conceals the crystal current. 
You might imagine the Englishman mean, if you pass 
along with him for a day. He gives a penny to his 
porter, another to his shoe-black, another to the poor 
woman that sweeps the street-crossings, another to 
Matthew, the publican, another to blind Bartimeus, an- 
other to Mary Magdalene, singing beneath his window, 
the good Samaritan's installment to St. Peter, and a 
sixpence to send St. Paul to the heathen ; but we must 
17 



194 LETTERS FROM EUROPE. 

not forget that tlie shore is made up of sands, and the 
ocean of drops. You find nothing, however, of the gush- 
ing generosity of America in England. In domestic life 
the Englishman is equally prudent; for instance in the 
matter of marriage. One says : " I wish to take advice 
about a serious matter that weighs heavy on my mind." 

"What is it?" 

"Getting married. Is it best?" 

"Well, whom have you in view? If she is young, 
handsome, and virtuous, the sooner you get her the 
better. Who is she ?" 

"0, nobody in particular; it is marrying in the ahstracf, 
that I am thinking about." That is young Germany. 

"Zounds! I love her, and I'll have her if I have to 
swim the river for her." Young America. 

"No use to deny me or run from me. Where you go 
I will go, where you stop I will stop, where you live I 
will live, where you die I will die, and where you are 
buried there will I be buried." Young Ireland. 

"She is worth three thousand, one hundred and twenty- 
seven pounds, six shillings, and four pence half penny, 
which, under the circumstances, is not quite sufficient." 
Young England. 

In England marriage is mostly a business arrangement, 
in which the laws of industry, rent, wages, population, 
and currency are all duly considered. The following 
statistics throw light upon the subject. Out of one 
thousand youths under twenty years of age only four are 
married; of one thousand between twenty and twenty- 
five years, two hundred; of one thousand between 
twenty-five and thirty, five hundred and forty; of one 
thousand between thirty and thirty-five, seven hundred 
and ten; of one thousand between thirty-five and forty, 
seven hundred and eighty; of one thousand between 
forty-five and fifty, eight hundred and ten. Of one hun- 



MARRIAGE IN ENGLAND. 195 

dred young women only twenty-five are married. Matri- 
mony is contracted not at the period of poetry but of 
propcrti/, and so carefully, that, notwithstanding the 
equality of the sexes, ladies are at a discount of seventy- 
five per cent. When an Englishman is ready for matri- 
mony, it is not unlikely he will insert such a notice as 
this in one of the papers : 

''The advertiser — age thirty-four, income about two hun- 
dred pounds — residing in a country town, will be happy 
to hear from a lady of good education and respectable 
position; secrecy guaranteed and expected. Address, 
p. p., [that is, 2^ost p)CLid,'\ with full particulars as to age, 
appearance, health, etc., and giving an address that will 
insure receipt of reply for a week or ten days after, to T. 
R., Kingsland Road, London." 

When Henry V married Katharine he had the best of 
the bargain. He was to rule France as Regent during 
the lifetime of her father, and his issue was to be heir 
to the joint crowns of England and France. When 
Queen Mary married Philip II, of Spain, the articles of 
marriage provided that the administration should be 
solely in her hands, and that in certain contingencies her 
issue should succeed to the crown of Spain. These are 
i\iir examples; sometimes, indeed, England has made a 
bad matrimonial contract, as that which Suffolk made for 
Henry VI; but when was she ever jeoparded by one? 
This prudence has been imitated by her people. 

They exhibit the same prudence in politics; like the 
town clerk of Ephesus, they do nothing rashly. When 
the Danes had overcome the Anglo-Saxons, Alfred neither 
relinquished his patrimony nor rushed to extermination, 
but bided his time, and when the moment came recov- 
ered all. When Edward I was carrying on his wars, he 
applied to the clergy to bear their share by granting 
a fifth of their movables. Pope Boniface VIII had 



196 LETTERS PROM EUROPE. 

issued a bill prohibiting any tax upon tbe clergy without 
bis consent. The Archbishop of Canterbury told the 
king that they preferred obeying their spiritual rather 
than their temporal sovereign. Without any contro- 
versy with the Church or Pope, which at that time would 
have been unsafe, Edward coolly issued an order to all 
the judges to do every man justice against the clergy, 
but to do them justice against nobody. The poor 
clergy — now fair game for ruffians and robbers — insulted, 
plundered, and maimed with impunity, soon brought 
their tribute to the king, that they might again enjoy 
his protection. When Henry VIII rose against the 
Pope, he took care to defend the faith — repudiating 
Catholic discipline, he advocated Catholic doctrine; at 
the same time burning as a heretic him who denied the 
dogma of transubstantiation, and beheading as a traitor 
him who asserted the supreme authority of the Pope, so 
that it was well said in his reign, that whoever pro- 
nounced for the Pope was decapitated, and whoever pro- 
nounced against him was burned. When the English 
have not had a prudent sovereign, they have prudently 
checked him. When William the Conqueror determined 
to crush out the national spirit, and institutions, and 
language, the Saxons neither plunged upon his resistless 
sword nor bowed to his haughty spirit; but resisted 
steadily, firmly, prudently, and, under his son Henry, 
obtained a precious charter of privileges. When John 
sold the English to the Pope, they nobly vindicated their 
rights by wringing from their tyrant the Magna Charta. 
When Henry III violated that charter they brought him 
to his senses, and making for themselves a house of 
commons took another step toward liberty. When Wil- 
liam, Prince of Orange, came to the throne, the conven- 
tion annexed to the settlement of the crown a declaration 
of rights, by which the powers of the royal prerogative 



PRKEDOM IN ENGLAND. 197 

were circumscribed, and defined more narrowly and pre- 
cisely that at any former period of the government. 

In all their progress they have advanced slowly and 
cautiously. Once only did they have an entire revolu- 
tion, and as that ended in despotism, they are averse to 
another. Occasionally they have had a Jack Cade who 
has said, " Be brave, for your captain is brave and vows 
reformation. There shall be in England seven half- 
penny loaves sold for a penny; the three-hooped pot 
shall have ten hoops. All the realm shall be in com- 
mon, and in Cheapside shall my palfrey go to grass, and 
I will kill all the lawyers." But, alas ! poor Jack has 
always made a bad job of it in England. 

While the continent has been agitated, and nation 
after nation has been drenched in blood, England has 
been quiet. While nation after nation has passed from 
anarchy to despotism, England has been steadily enjoying 
liberty. She has free speech — for Punch ridicules roy- 
alty at pleasure, and Bright and Cobdea say Russia is 
right and Britain wrong; a free press — the Times has 
upset the ministry; and free labor — a Russian agent at 
London daily telegraphs news to St. Petersburg ; and she 
patiently awaits the hour when stars and garters shall be 
laid aside, and the name of monarchy changed for that 
of republic. 

The English are a scrupulous nation, socially, polit- 
ically, commercially. I make a distinction between con- 
scientious and scrupulous — the one is the genus, the 
other the species. It might be expected that a people 
so reserved would be disinclined to flatter. So it is, they 
avoid personalities lest they should offend dignity; they 
testify approbation in oblique modes and measured de- 
gree; their compliments generally bear a premium, while 
Irish are at a discount of 50 per cent., and French at 
62 J. In politics they are to be relied on. I do not say 



198 LETTERS FROM EUROPE. 

that the British Government is not selfish, ambitious, 
grasping, oppressive; usually it contrives to make good 
treaties and to enforce them strictly. But this is what I 
mean : when the British make a treaty, whether with 
the weak or strong, they keep it. It is naught whether 
it works advantage or disadvantage to them. I can rec- 
ollect many instances in which the cabinets of some 
other nations have deliberately proposed to break a treaty, 
but none in which the English ever did. Their agents 
in the east have sometimes been false, but the home 
Grovernment has denounced them. The bombardment 
of Copenhagen and a few similar acts, can not be justi- 
fied, and the nation deeply regrets them. 

She is true to her citizens. If a destitute slave should 
be cast upon her shore, he would become a free man ; 
and vile, and poor, and burdensome, and loathsome 
though he might be, she would summon her whole navy 
and army, if need be, to guard him from his master. 
When the law was once pronounced, that he who touches 
British soil is free, the nation became restless till her 
word was borne across the seas that slavery shall exist 
in her colonies no more. I need not say that she has 
suffered pecuniarily from that act ; but having said, " Our 
slaves are entitled to freedom," she said, also, " Let them 
have it." According to theory, the masters were not 
entitled to compensation for their slaves ; but, inasmuch 
as they had acquired them under British government, 
she acknowledged a debt in honor, which was not a debt 
in law, and poured out $100,000,000 from her already 
depleted ti-easury. 

So in mercantile affairs. This is owing to their pecul- 
iar circumstances. As they are a nation of merchants 
and manufacturers, it is indispensable that they should 
be honest. If an agriculturist fail to pay his note 
duly, it may be no serious injury to him; for he may 



Britain's greatness. 199 

never want to borrow again ; but if the merchant fail to 
meet his, woe to him. The doctor may be guilty of a 
breach of trust without serious detriment to his purse, 
because his patronage depends more on his skill than his 
integrity ; but if the lawyer do the same, farewell to him. 
Though America may repudiate and live, England can 
not. Hence, when an Englishman subscribes, he pays. 
He does not inquire whether the times are hard, or 
whether he could do better with his money, or whether 
the officers have offended him — sufficient for him that his 
name is down and that his time is up. England has her 
reward for her integrity. With the largest national debt 
in the world, she pays the smallest interest, and with 
thirty thousand British soldiers she governs one hundred 
and thirty millions of Hindoos, not so much by force 
of her sabers as force of her morals. 

With all her faults, Britain is great — surpassed in 
enterprise by the United States alone, and in the popu- 
lation of her empire by China only; she is equal to us 
in industry and knowledge, and superior to any nation in 
manufactures, commerce, naval power, and charitable and 
religious donations. Free in a hemisphere of bondsmen, 
the only other nation that is so is her child. Her flag 
floats in every latitude; her prayers ascend from every 
longitude; she sets her tabernacle in the seas; her going 
forth is from the end of the earth, and her circuit to the 
ends of it; like the sun, she rejoices as a strong man to 
run a race; and there is no speech nor language where 
her voice is not heard. For a thousand years she has 
been steadily ascending in the career of civilization ; in 
intelligence, morals, machinery, and material wealth; in 
science, philosophy, eloquence, and song; in benevolent 
enterprise and national character. Were she to sink 
beneath the waves to-day, she would clothe the earth in 
mourning, and no nation more deeply than the United 



200 LETTERS FROM EUROPE. 

States; but she would leave tlie world an object to be 
admired long as the noblest forms of genius, learning, 
and religion can charm the human heart. 

She owes her greatness to the smiles of a kind Provi- 
dence ; for there is 

"A divinity tliat shapes our ends, 
Eough-hew them as we will." 

She, doubtless, deemed it a misfortune when the Roman 
legion brought arts and arms to her shores, as did Greece 
when Inachus brought government to Argos, and Danaus 
brought architecture from Egypt, and Erichthonius 
brought agriculture from the Nile, and Cadmus letters 
from Phenicia, and she, doubtless, regarded the success- 
ive invasions of Angles, and Saxons, and Jutes, and 
Danes, and Normans to be successive calamities; but 
God meant all for good. The law which curses the off- 
spring of prohibited affinities, and blesses the issue of 
remoter ones with increasing strength and beauty, ap- 
plies to nations. There needed a mixture of many ele- 
ments to make up the strong compound of a modern 
Englishman. But for those various national elements, 
Great Britain might have sunk into deeper and deeper 
barbarism, and poverty, and imbecility. Following her 
inclination, she would, long ere this, under the impulse 
of intense nationality, have locked herself up in a sort 
of Chinese exclusiveness, and have sunk into Chinese 
sluggishness; but her insular position lays her under ob- 
ligation to hold intercourse with all mankind; in doing 
so, she at once gives and receives the bounties and excel- 
lences of all nations. She probably deemed it her mis- 
fortune that she could not annex France; but she now 
sees that it was a merciful dispensation of Providence 
which stripped her of her French possessions. To con- 
quer France would have been to transfer, her court to the 
continent, sink herself into a dependency, and postpone 



AMERICA AND ENGLAND. 201 

for ages her civil and religious liberties. She mourned 
the loss of her American colonies ; but her loss was not 
merely our gain, it was hers also. 

I write without fear of parties or love of praise. I 
respect myself too well not to say what I think, and know 
mankind too well to suppose that all excellences are in our- 
selves and all faults in our rivals. This, however, I may, 
in all candor, say, I left foreign shores with a higher opin- 
ion of my country than I ever had before. I longed to 
sleep again beneath the wings of her eagles, and vowed to 
devote myself to her with an intenser love. My all of 
earth is here — here is my heart. While I heard Eng- 
land singing, 

" Ay, let them rail, those haughty ones, 
While safe thou dwellest with thy sous ; 
They kuow not, in their hate and pride, 
How true, how good thy graceful maids. 
Make bright, like flowers, the valley shades." 

I added, " All this, and more, also, of my country !" 
When they continued, 

" What generous men 
Spring, like thine oaks, from hill and glen 
How faith is kept, and truth revered, 
And man is loved, and God is feared, 

In woodland homes. 
Or where the solemn ocean foams " — 

I said, " All this of my country I" It was only when 

she sang, 

" There's freedom at thy gales ana rest 
For earth's downtrodden and oppressed — 

A shelter for the hunted head, 
« • * * * at 

Power at thy bounds 
Stops and calls off his baffled lioxinds, 

that I hung my head, and prayed that I might be able 
soon to respond, "All this, also, of my country!" 



202 LETTERS FROM EUROPE, 



HAVRE AND PARIS. 

TT is time we left England. Our route is from Ports- 
-*- mouth to Southampton, a beautiful seaport and market- 
town at the mouth of the Itchen. Tarrying here a short 
time, I had an opportunity of looking at the town, at 
least in its principal avenues. It seems to be a clean, 
well-paved, thriving place, having a number of good 
churches belonging to various denominations, and a vari- 
ety of eleemosynary institutions. An inlet of the sea 
affords good anchorage here, and vessels of a large size 
may unload along side of the quay. It is the emporium 
of a considerable district, and has an increasing trade. 
We were conveyed by carriage along a pier extending 
four hundred yards from the shore to the steamer's side. 
Here we took passage for Havre. The route from Lon- 
don to Paris by Southampton, though not the shortest, is 
one of the most frequently traveled, especially since the 
completion of the South-Western railway, and the railway 
from Havre to Paris, through Rouen. We set off by night 
in order to take advantage of the tide. The passage is 
not difficult, and there is but little danger of encounter- 
ing adverse winds. 

Again we are at sea; but what a contrast between the 
'' Baltic" and this little steamer! I took a first-class 
ticket, and can testify most feelingly that ''bad is the 
best." Happy for us, the night was mild. I lay down a 
few hours in a sort of clothes' press, and then arose to 



HAVRE. 203 

sip a cup of coiFee and promenade tlie deck watching for 
the rising sun. At length he shines serenely upon the 
sea. About half-past ten we entered the flourishing forti- 
fied port on the north bank of the Seine, known formerly 
as "Havre de Grace," now as "Havre." More than 
thirty years ago, when I was a child, I entered this port. 
It has been associated in my mind ever since with fear 
and fun — the former occasioned by the difficulty of 
ascending from the vessel's deck, and the latter by all 
sorts of sport with the natives of my own age during a 
short residence in the city. My father, when he left 
England, had some idea of settling on this side of the 
Channel, but the manners and customs of the people — 
particularly their desecration of the Sabbath — were so re- 
pugnant to him that he soon set sail for the more conge- 
nial shores of the United States. Here we are : a police 
officer, in faded blue, with sword dangling at his side, 
demands passports, and subordinates take charge of my 
baggage to search it with scrutiny; they even draw my 
cane umbrella from its sheath and spread it out. Baggage 
having been returned to me, I must next go to the office 
of police for my passport. At length we are at ease, in 
comfortable quarters, with trunk and passport. Going 
up the Rue de Paris, one of the first things I noticed 
was a fight between a carriage driver and a wagoner. It 
seemed to occur very naturally; the parties did not 
appear to intend it, but just miscellaneously "pitched 
in" to each other merely because their vehicles did. 
What was the issue I can not say. The French are an en- 
thusiastic people. Every-where, however, you find human 
passions — but this country seems to be their native region, 
where they put forth their utmost strength. Christianity 
has done, we are apt to think, comparatively little for 
France; yet when we consider how much was necessary 
to be done among this impetuous people, we may change 



204 LETTERS FROM EUROPE. 

our opinion. Poor, priest-ridden populace, how much do 
we pity you! Yet, how much superior are the most 
stupid, ignorant, and deluded among you to Mohammed- 
ans or heathens ! 

The houses and stores along this principal avenue, 
which extends through the town from north to south, up 
to the gate of Ingouville, are very fine, many of them in- 
deed imposing. Ingouville is a pleasant suburb, and is 
the great place of resort and amusement, especially on 
the Sabbath, or was so when I was seven years old. 
Notre Dame — a church of the sixteenth century — where 
I first heard mass, looks about as I supposed. The forti- 
fications begun by Louis XII and finished by Napoleon I, 
are three or four miles in circuit. This is the great out- 
port of Paris; it is said to be more accessible than any 
other port on the coast, and is to France what Liverpool 
is to England, especially so far as American trade is con- 
cernedj it is rapidly gaining on its rivals of the Loire 
and the Garonne — Bordeaux and Nantes. It has no im- 
portant historical monuments, being a modern town, 
founded by Francis I, A. D. 1516. It is, however, con- 
nected with many historical events, such as the embarka- 
tion of Henry of Richmond, the surrender of the town to 
Queen Elizabeth by the Prince de Conde, and its gallant 
defense by Warwick. 

Returning after a promenade to my hotel — Hotel I'Eu- 
rope — I looked around upon my fellow-travelers. Many 
of them were English; of these the greater number were 
men of fortune, who had children attending schools in 
this vicinity. They were very fond of the pipe and the 
glass — not of wine, but of brandy. It seems to me very 
poor policy for the English to send their sons to France 
to be educated; they can surely educate them better and 
more safely at home. Fashion, however, is great and 
must prevail, even to the injury or destruction of the 



IN PARIS. 205 

soul. Many Protestant sons and daughters, who have 
been sent to France that they might be polished, have 
returned devoted Catholics. Were not Rev. Richard 
Watson's daughters polished on this wise? 

Leaving Havre, we move on to Paris. The only im- 
portant city through which we pass is Rouen, the great 
seat of French cotton manufacture. It is a very old 
town, and bears the marks of antiquity, the streets being 
irregular, narrow, and ill built. The houses are mostly 
frame, weather-boarded or stuccoed, and gable-faced. 
The wealthy inhabitants are said to reside in the fau- 
bourgs. It is the birthplace of Pierre Corneille, the 
Shakspeare of France. It was a bishop's see as early as 
the third century, and has been several times in possession 
of the English. The land of Normandy, so far as I saw 
it, is exceedingly verdant and beautiful. 

Arrived at Paris, we were put down at the Meurice 
Hotel, in the Rue Rivoli. The first thing demanded, 
after I had seated myself in my room, was my passport. 
This was taken to the office, where, I doubt not, it was 
called for by the police. When it was returned to me I 
found, in pencil remark, my answers to the questions that 
were put to me as to my stay in Paris, the route I would 
take after leaving it, etc., all which information was, 
doubtless, in possession of the police officer. Here I 
found myself quite at home, as there were a number of 
my fellow-passengers of the Baltic at the house. Among 
these were two to whom I felt a strong attachment — Mr. 
W., a lawyer of New York, and Mr. C, brother of the 
commander of. the Baltic — both, on their return voyage, 
passengers of the ill-fated Arctic — both lying now in the 
deep blue sea. With both I was accustomed, on our out- 
ward passage, to promenade the deck, almost daily. 
Among other topics, we conversed on religion, very agree- 
ably. The former was a Presbyterian, a member of Mr. 



206 LETTERS FROM EUROPE, 

Cheever's congregation, and, thougli not a communicant, 
yet, I firmly believe, a converted man. His spirit and 
example were remarkable, and it was pleasant and advan-' 
tageous to be in liis society. The latter was sedate, 
sober-minded, strictly moral, but a Unitarian in his views. 
On several occasions I endeavored to give him the benefit 
of my studies in theology; but, though I always secured 
a patient and respectful hearing, I have no idea that I 
won my friend to my own faith. Indeed, he was very in- 
telligent, and well prepared to defend his own. On one 
occasion, as we met, he said, smiling, ''In one thing, at 
least, we are alike : though we desire every body to think 
as we do, we are not inclined to persecute them if they 
don't." 

We had met at the Waterloo Hotel, at Liverpool; we 
had been room-mates in London; and now, again, we 
were fellow-boarders in Paris. Many times, by night and by 
day, did we walk the streets together, feeling that we 
were mutually guarding each other, physically and mor- 
ally. I shall not attempt a description of Paris, its gar- 
dens, monuments, libraries, churches, etc., lest I tres- 
pass on your goodness and patience. Having attend- 
ed to my business, and visited the principal objects of 
attraction, I marked out a route for further travel. 
Almost all the Americans at Paris intended to go further; 
but no two agreed upon a route, a time of starting, or a 
rate of speed. After various vain attempts to make up 
an American traveling party, we concluded each to go his 
own way. As we were departing from our last council, I 
said to Mr. C, "Your views correspond pretty nearly 
with mine; we both have but a limited time; let us go 
together." "Agreed, I will be your fellow-passenger till 
we return to America." 

Next day we were ofi" for Switzerland. Our route lay 
through Champaign, Burgundy, and Franche Comte. 



SWITZERLAND. 



207 



Up the Valleys of the Seine, Yonne, Armancon, down 
the valley of the Saone, and over the Jura Mountains, we 
pass through Melun, Fontainbleau, Montcrau Sens — the 
ancient capital of the Sennones ; Joigney — the retreat of 
Thomas a Becket; Tonnerre — where lies Michael le Tel- 
lier; Tanley — near which is the chateau once occupied 
by Coligney, brother of the great Admiral Coligney; 
Montbard — the residence of BufFon; Dijon — formerly the 
capital of the Duchy of Burgundy, now the chief town 
of the Dept de la Cote d'Or, long celebrated for its wine 
trade, shady walks, and monuments of the middle ages. 
It is the birthplace of the eloquent Bossuet. From 
Dijon we pass through the district whose sunny and well- 
terraced hillsides yield the wines which for delicacy and 
fullness, for color and flavor, for aroma and richness, are 
the best in the world. Soon we arc at Chalons-sur-Saone, 
at the head of steamboat navigation on the Saone, and 
connected with the Loire by the Canal du Center. It is 
said to be the Cabillonum of Caesar. From Chalons we 
proceeded to Macon, formerly the capital of the Macco- 
nois, now of the Dept Saone and Loire. The town looks 
old and somewhat dull, but affords a fine view of the 
river. From its bridge of thirteen arches I caught my 
first glimpse of Mont Blanc. Macon is the birthplace 
of the celebrated poet, philosopher, and politician, Lam- 
artine. Poor man, he is to be pitied ! Of his patriotism 
and integrity there can be no doubt. He was unsuccess- 
ful as a politician, perhaps, because he was too much of a 
poet. "He is good," said a Frenchman, "at correcting 
mistakes; but it is better not to make them." I came 
very near having an introduction to one of his Cabinet, 
who, unfortunately, was sick when we called upon him. 
On the way our common friend said, "I have often 
talked with M. on politics. I have said to him, 'I am 
sorry for you; but you did us no good.'" "Well, what 



208 LETTERS PROM EUROPE. 

was his reply?" "0, lie said, 'It is your fault; you did 
not allow us time, but opposed and embarrassed us from 
tbe commencement.' " Perhaps there was something in 
this. 



MACON, GENEVA, ETC. 209 



MACON, GENEVA, ETC. 

AT Macon we took the diligence. We stipulated for 
a seat in the banquette, which we were fortunate 
enough to occupy for some hours at the commencement 
of our journey, but after breakfast a French lady stepped 
into my seat beside the driver, and I, being too gallant 
to displace her, reluctantly took her place in the interior. 
Our route was through Bourg and Nantua, to Geneva. 
Two young gentlemen from America accompanied us. 
We were all very hungry when the diligence drove into 
Bourg; but we determined to see something of the town, 
cost what it would ; so, as soon as the diligence stopped, 
we sallied forth with empty stomachs to explore the 
place, while our native fellow-travelers were enjoying 
their dejeuner. On our way we purchased some small 
loaves of bread, and, breaking them to pieces, devoured 
them as we went along. You would hardly have owned 
me for a brother clergyman, had you seen me marching 
through the streets with my traveler's cap on, and my 
loaf in my hand; but fearing I might never be that way 
again, I determined to make the best use of my eyes. 
Bourg is the principal place in the Dept de I'Ain, having 
a population of about ten thousand ; it formerly belonged 
to the house of Savoy, but has been subject to France 
since 1601. Understanding that the Church of Notre 
Dame de Brou was the principal object of interest, we 
pushed forward outside the walls to see it. This build- 

18 



210 LETTERS FROM EUROPE. 

ing is said to have originated in a vow of Margaret de 
Bourbon, wife of Philip II, of Savoy, but it was built by 
her daughter-in-law, Margaret of Austria, about the year 
1630. Its style is Gothic. The west front is surmounted 
by three gables, beneath the center of which is a portal 
richly ornamented with arabesques and carvings, and in 
front of this portal is a sun-dial, constructed by the 
astronomer Lalande, who was born here about one hun- 
dred and twenty-three years ago. The shrine contains 
the fine, white marble tombs of Philibut le Beau, Marga- 
ret de Bourbon, and Margaret of Austria. The altar- 
piece is of sculptured alabaster. The elegantly-painted 
windows, the unbroken stillness, and the worshipers scat- 
tered here and there through the church engaged in 
silent devotion, increased the solemnity which the antiq- 
uity and grandeur of the Church was fitted to inspire 
The motto of the founder is impressed in various parts 
of the church, " Fortune infortune^forteun^^ — in fortune 
or misfortune there is one strong of heart. Brave daugh- 
ter of Maximilian, governess of the Netherlands, and 
persecutor of the Lutherans, you shall have our respect 
in spite of your bigotry! — We heard of a college, a 
normal school, and a library, but had not time to see 
them. We returned to the inn just as the diligence was 
starting. 

At Cerdon we begin to ascend the Jura Mountains. 
In the midst of them, at the extremity of a lake full 
of trout and craw-fish, stands the manufacturing village 
of Nantua, overhung by precipices and forests. She is 
a romantic little beauty. Near Negrolles we reach the 
summit of the pass, and, having descended, skirt the 
shores of the lovely Lake Sylant. 

At Bellegarde we reach the valley of the Rhone, and 
stop for refreshment. Here the Valserine unites with 
the Rhone, and, as the town is on the frontiers, passports 



THE RUONE. 211 

are demanded. A short distance from tte inn is the 
Pertc du Rhone, where the channel, being contracted 
and incumbered by rocks, broken from the precipitous 
bights above, the river, like the fabled Arethusa, disap- 
pears in the earth, and rushes through unexplored cav- 
erns, which it has excavated in the limestone rock for 
one hundred and twenty yards. I had a fine view of this 
great natural curiosity, and the picturesque valley for 
some distance beyond it. From Bellegarde to Collonges, 
the Rhone plunges through a narrow gorge, formed by 
Mont Vauche on the side of Savoy, and Mont Credo on 
the side of France. Our road hangs midway in this 
wonderful passage. At the upper end of the defile we 
come to the Fort de I'Ecluse — a very strong fortress, 
commanding the entrance into France. There are bat- 
teries and barracks below; from these you ascend one 
hundred feet by a staircase hewn inside the rocky mount- 
ain to the batteries above, which are cut in the solid 
rock. For once, at least, we have had an illustrious pre- 
decessor; for Caesar speaks of this gorge as a strong 
military position. 

It was a serene summer's evening when we approached 
Geneva, charmed by the scenery, Mont Blanc being now 
in full view. It was night when we entered the gates, 
and we were all hungry and weary. Had I been dropped 
from the clouds, I should have supposed I was in Amer- 
ica, and should at least have felt certain that I was in a 
free, enlightened. Christian, Protestant city. Do you 
ask me why? I can not exactly say; but we form many 
judgments of which we can give no account. Thus we 
may condemn a poisonous plant, a scarlet woman, or a 
counterfeit bill without being able to assign any reason. 
The tavern^ — Hotel des Bergues — recommended to us, 
was full; indeed all were, save one — a new one — Hotel 
d'Angleterre. To that we went, and were agreeably sur- 



212 LETTERS EROM EUROPE. 

prised to find every thing to our wishes. This house was 
neat and clean, inside and out, up and down; it was airy 
and spacious also, and commanded a fine view of the 
Lake ; the servants were attentive and polite, and the 
table according to order. 

Geneva, as you know, is at the western extremity of 
the Lake, at the point where the Rhone issues. This 
beautiful stream — of indigo blue till it mingles with the 
muddy Arve — divides the city into two parts. There is 
another division of the place of more historical import- 
ance; namely, into uipper and lower town — terms express- 
ive at once of geographical and social position ; the 
former being occupied by the aristocracy, the latter by 
the democracy — a division which has occasioned con- 
flicts that have usually terminated in favor of the lower 
party, who fortunately have command of the city water- 
pipes. 

This city — the largest in Switzerland — has about 
thirty-three thousand inhabitants, and it is computed 
that not less than the same number of strangers pass 
through it annually, either attracted by its wholesome 
air and delightful scenery, or en route between Rome and 
Paris. Next morning Mr. C. and myself hired a car- 
riage and a guide to go around the city, taking with us 
an American artist, who was on his way to Florence, with 
whom we had formed a pleasant acquaintance. One of 
the first objects of our attention was the cathedral, or 
Church of St. Pierre — a simple and grand specimen of 
medieval Gothic, containing the monuments of Agripp 
d'Aubigney and Comte Henri de Rohan. 

The guide said, pointing to the pulpit, arched by a 
canopy, ''There is the canopy under which John Calvin 
preached, and Knox too." I ran up the steps and seated 
myself; I rose up and looked around, and sighed for the 
inspiration of the mighty dead. Great Calvin ! thou 



JOHN CALVIN. 213 

shaven son of the Church, and lean lawyer of the Loire j 
thou lively- tongued teacher of dead languages; thou 
severe commentator on Latin moi'als, and self-styled Ro- 
man citizen ; thou fomenter of free thought, and excom- 
municator of free-thinkers ; thou Hebrew student of 
Basil and famous seeker of obscurity; thou great author 
of confessions, and stern opposer of synods ; thou vigor- 
ous executor of consistories, and refugee from oppres- 
sion; thou tyrannical enemy of tyrants, and mighty ad- 
vocate of reform ; thou prince of Protestants, and burner 
of heretics; thou learned, laborious, loving child of 
God; thou analyzing, philosophizing, governing son of 
man; thou great counselor of kings and provinces, and 
lawgiver of states and Churches; thou advocate of sanc- 
tity and punisher of plush breeches, hail ! Here, in thy 
favorite Geneva, Farel detained thee by his curses, or 
the magistracy by its blessings — God knoweth which — 
and made thee at once minister and professor. Well, 
thou art earnest and honest — a man, and no make- 
believe — glorious with all thy errors. It is a pleasure to 
stand where once thy voice rolled in thunder, and thy pen 
scathed as lightning; thou wast mighty in truth and in 
God, thou second Augustine, but greater than the first — 
a heart on fire is thy symbol. If we could contemplate 
Calvin apart from his theology, he would, nevertheless, 
be an object of veneration to a citizen of the United 
States — indeed, to any freeman; for he was the father 
of the Pilgrims, and the friend of civil liberty; and his 
pulpit was the nest that hatched that great bird, the 
American eagle. 

From this cathedral we proceeded to the Museum, 
denominated "Muse Kath," where we found a number 
of pictures, chiefly by Calame, Hornung, and other na- 
tive artists, in relishing which we were aided by our new 
American acquaintance, who is a connoisseur. They are 



214 LETTERS FROM EUROPE, 

of no great interest, however, to one fresli from the 
Louvre, Versailles, and Hampton Court. 

Nest we took a hasty glance at the Musee d'Historie 
Naturelle. It is very interesting, as it contains the 
native production of Switzerland, and the valuable geo- 
logical collections of Saussure and Decandolle. We met, 
in passing, with many monuments to remind us of distin- 
guished men to whom Geneva has given birth or abode, 
particularly of John James Rosseau — the miserable son 
of the happy watchmaker — the poor heir of a rich sensi- 
bility — a learned, gifted, but undisciplined intellect — a 
free, dashing, fierce, untamable spirit, like the wild ass 
of the desert. In boyhood he was a prattling, lying, 
thievish, novel-reading, prank-playing little glutton ; in 
youth, a cage-making, flute-playing, drum-beating, pup- 
pet-working, play-acting, sermon-writing sinner; in later 
years a dupe, an apostate, a music-teaching wanderer, a 
black-haired, sparkling-eyed deceiver, a nervous, short- 
breathed, sleepless, corpse-like student — a sublime eulo- 
gist of the ancient faith, and great evangelist of modern 
skepticism. 

Possessed of a fine imagination and a seductive style, 
and biased by a sensual appetite and impious associates, 
he, perhaps, did more mischief than any other man of 
his age. His sophistries have spread over the continent 
and the islands of Europe. He laid the foundation for 
the French Revolution. He seems not to have been 
insensible of the influence of some, at least, of his writ- 
ings; for in the preface to his "Julie" he says: "No 
chaste young woman ever reads romances ; and I have 
given this book a decisive title, that, on opening it, a 
reader may know what to expect. She who, notwith- 
standing, shall dare to read a single page, is undone ; but 
let her not impute her ruin to me — the mischief was 
done before." 



ROSSEAU AND VOLTAIRE. 215 

Speaking of Rosseau, we are reminded of his great 
rival — Voltaire — who, also, is associated with Geneva. 
He had gone from France to Berlin ; but, finding that 
Frederick was about to treat him as an orange — squeeze 
the juice out, and throw away the rest — he resolved to 
take care of the orange-peel in time ; sO; quitting his 
Prussian Majesty, he proceeded to Frankfort and nego- 
tiated for a return to France; but as his obscene *' Pu- 
selle d'Orleans " had blocked up his way, he retired to 
Geneva, where he fomented the disputes of the little 
republic, leaning always to the stronger party, but laugh- 
ing at both, till he was compelled to retire to Ferney. 
Strong as was the resemblance between himself and Ros- 
seau, they never agreed. In their first meeting — at Brus- 
sels — Voltaire told Rosseau that his ''Ode to Posterity" 
would never reach its destination. Rosseau, in return, 
advised Voltaire to suppress a certain one of his satires, 
lest people might suppose he ''had lost his abilities, and 
preserved only his virulence." Voltaire was a mixture 
of the eagle and the ape ; Rosseau, of the swan and the 
hog. 

How great the contrast between either of these infi- 
dels and the great Geneva Reformer, Calvin ! All were 
gifted — Calvin only was good. He sought not his own 
interest, but that of the world — not his own pleasure, but 
that of God. His errors were those of his age, not of 
himself; the errors of the infidels were mostly their own. 
His fame will widen with the advance of time; theirs 
will contract. Little Geneva, thou art least of all the 
tribes — Voltaire used to say, "When I shake my wig I 
powder the whole republic" — yet thou hast exerted an 
influence upon the world, both for good and for evil, 
greater than any other city of modern times ! From thee 
came civil liberty and national faith. From thee came 
anarchy and Atheism. 



216 LETTERS FROM EUROPE. 



GENEVA MANUFACTURES AND LAWS. 

¥E did not leave Geneva without visiting some of the 
watchmakers' and jewelers' workshops, for which it 
has been so celebrated for several centuries. It is com- 
puted that one hundred thousand watches are made every 
year in this city, although, owing to improvements in the 
machinery employed, there are fewer persons engaged in 
the work than there were in the sixteenth century. The 
Grovernment, well aware of the importance of preserving 
the watch-making reputation of the city, appoints a Com. 
mission de Surveillance, composed of master workmen, 
to inspect the shops and examine the articles which are 
produced, to see that the metal which enters into them 
is of the legal standard. 

It is a pleasure to buy a watch in such a place. We 
of course "remembered the loved ones at home." Alas! 
my friend's daughter never, I suppose, saw the beautiful 
present designed for her. My good wife had better fortune. 

We took a ride in the environs of Greneva, which are 
the most beautiful I have ever witnessed; the natural 
scenery is itself most enchanting, and its efl^ect is hight- 
ened by the villas and gardens which adorn the green 
banks of the lake. Among the more noticeable of the 
houses in the vicinity is the " Camjoagne Diodati," once 
the residence of Lord Byron, in which it is said he 
wrote, in 1816, ''Manft-ed" and the third canto of 
" Childe Harold." 



A CONVERSATION. 217 

My friend, Mr. C, was anxious to go to Chaumoni by 
the Tete Noir pass, and so was I, but I had determ- 
ined to return to Paris from Geneva by Strasbourg, in 
anticipation of letters from home. He at length yielded, 
and we made our arrangements to set sail at twelve 
o'clock, M., for Vevay, intending to go from thence to 
Berne, and from Berne to Strasbourg. Our new friend, 
the artist, whom we had favored in several ways, anxious 
to express his gratitude, invited us to go to a restaurant 
and partake of some refreshment prior to our embarka- 
tion. Mr. C. declined, but I accepted the invitation. 
While we were at table the bell rang and the boat 
started. Mr. C. was on deck with our baggage; perceiv- 
ing that I was not, he ordered the baggage ashore, and 
soon we all met at the tavern. 

"Well," said Mr. C, ''seeing we have been detained, 
I have concluded to go to Chaumoni." He strongly 
urged me to go with him. 

''Can we go and be in Paris at the day appointed?" 

"Yes, by traveling Sabbaths." 

"Then I do not go; the question is settled." Little 
did I think it was a question of life and death. Before 
we parted I said to him : 

" If you will go to Rome with me, I will immediately 
change all my plans, and write to Paris to have my letters 
forwarded." 

"■'No, it is sickly; no stranger can safely enter Italy at 
this season." 

My determination now was to return to Paris, and if 
news from home were favorable, to proceed to Hamburg, 
then go through Berlin and Vienna to Trieste, from 
Trieste to Rome, and so on. 

About two o'clock we parted, hoping to meet again, if 
not in the old world at least in the new. I took passage 
the same afternoon for Lausanne. It was a delightful 
19 ^ 



218 LETTERS FROM EUROPE. 

voyage ; the tranquil beauty of the lake, the green banks, 
the fresh breezes from the fragrant shores, the lofty Alps 
in the distance, the calm summer evening, the sloping, 
vine-clad hills of Vaud on one side, and the rough preci- 
pices of Savoy on the other — all conspired to produce a 
contemplative and quiet frame of mind. 

I could not but feel solitary so far from home, without 
a friend, or acquaintance, or countryman, or man, woman, 
or child in company — so far as I know — who could speak 
my native language, save the captain, who spoke it im- 
perfectly, and who had some ideas without words, some 
words without ideas, and was often at a loss for both. 
Nevertheless, 1 felt tranquil and grateful — confiding in 
God, and rejoicing in the sight of so much beauty and 
grandeur as he had spread around me. 

Having leisure, I looked over with curiosity some of the 
papers which had accumulated in my pocket-book. One 
was a copy of the receipt of my passport at Geneva, upon 
the back of which were the following articles of the 
"Law of Strangers." I translate them here to show 
the vigilance which is exercised by the canton. 

Article 6. Every stranger who desires to make a so- 
journ in the canton, ought upon his arrival to address to 
the Department of Justice and Police an application for 
permission to tarry, and to indicate the place where he 
wishes to reside. 

Article 7. The strangers lodging at a tavern, or 
receiving gratuitous entertainment among their parents 
or friends, are dispensed from this obligation during the 
first two months of their stay; they must, nevertheless, 
conform to the rules prescribed for the inscription of 
travelers upon the registers of the taverns, and deposit 
their passports at the Bureau of Police. 

On arriving at the gates of the city you surrender your 
passport and receive a card, which you must return 



LORD BYRON. 219 

before you leave, inscribed witb your name and destina- 
tion. We may forgive the little state for its extraordi- 
nary watchfulness; it ranks number twenty-two of the 
cantons, and though much larger than the ancient repub- 
lic of Geneva--some communes once belonging to France 
and Savoy having been annexed to it in 1815 — it has 
only about ninety-one square miles and only one town 
worth naming. 

On our way we stop to land and take in passengers at 
Coppet — the residence of Madame de Stael — at Nyon, at 
Rolle, and at Morges. The extremity of our voyage is 
Ouchy, a mere port of entry. Between this and the 
opposite port, as we learn, the lake attains the greatest 
depth, which is nine hundred feet. The present month — 
August — is the one at which this lake reaches its great- 
est hight, about fifty inches above the ordinary level — a 
rise which is accounted for by the melting of the snows 
and glaciers of the mountains. There are temporary 
oscillations in the lake, varying from two to five feet, in 
certain seasons, particularly when the clouds are low; 
these are ascribed to inequalities of atmospheric pressure 
upon the surface of the water. 

We have landed. Here is the "Ancre" tavern, where 
Lord Byron — detained for a few days by bad weather — 
wrote his " Prisoner of Chillon." Amazing product of 
two days' labor ! Having heard this statement, I counted 
the lines of the poem the first opportunity, and found 
them to be four hundred and five. The mere copying 
of them would be, for any man, a good day's labor. Per- 
haps, however, the subject had long been in the author's 
thoughts, and, indeed, the poem may have been mentally 
composed before he put a line of it upon paper. I was 
enabled to read it with new interest, and with an appre- 
ciation quite different from what I had ever before 
experienced, after having witnessed the beautiful and 



220 LETTERS FROM EUROPE. 

enchanting scenery by which it was suggested, particu- 
larly such parts as the following : 

" I saw them, and ttey were tte same ; 
They were uot changed, like me, in frame ; 
I saw their thousand years of snow 
On high — their wide, long lake below, 
And the blue Ehone in fullest flow ; 
I heard the torrents leap and gush 
O'er channeled rock and broken bush ; 
I saw the white-walled distant town, 
And whiter sails go skimming down ; 
And then there was a little isle. 
Which in my very face did smile — 

The only one in view ; 
A small green isle, it seemed no more, 
Scarce broader than my dungeon floor, 
But in it there were three tall trees. 
And o'er it blew the mountain breeze. 
And by it there were waters flowing, 
And on it there were young flowers growing', 

Of gentle breath and hue. 
The fish swam by the castle wall. 
And they seemed joyous, each and all; 
The eagle rode the rising blast, 
Methought he never flew so fast 
As then to me he seemed to fly — 
And then new tears came in my eye." 

How much has natural scenery to do with genius! 
Who dare say that Lord Byron could have written the 
third canto of Childe Harold without having seen Swit- 
zerland? That canto is remarkable for its steadily-sus- 
tained sublimity. My attention was particularly called 
to it by my friend, the late Otway Curry, Esq., who was 
himself no inferior poet. I have read it since I left the 
land of Tell, and with new interest. What a pity that 
so great a mind should be associated with so dark a 
heart ! There is such bitterness and blackness in his 
best pages that he never can be a favorite with mankind. 
As we crossed the Jura I quoted from him some beautiful 
allusions to those mountains; but, to my astonishment, 



"hotel gibbon." 221 

there was no one in the diligence who knew that Lord 
Byron was the author. 

But whither am I wandering? We are at Ouchy; a 
ride in an omnibus for three-fourths of a mile, chiefly up 
hill,' brings us to Lausanne. It was eight o'clock, P. M., 
when we arrived, and we found them just sitting down 
to taWe d'hote, at the "Hotel Gibbon." Here I found 
the rooms all occupied; but I said to the landlord, "Your 
house has been recommended to me; it is late at night; 
I am a stranger, and can not be turned out; make me up 
a bed somewhere." "Step into table d'hote, and while 
you eat dinner I will think what I can do for you." As 
I returned the landlord said : " I can make you a bed on 
the sofa in a private parlor. Will that suit you?" "Ex- 
actly." So I had a fine parlor to myself, and slept 
sweetly, though it was not easily that I composed myself 
to slumber; for I could but think of the elegant and 
glowing historian who had given an immortal name to the 
tavern, and who had composed his history of Rome on 
the spot where I was then resting, and which once was 
the site of his summer-house. Great, but mistaken man! 
how much mischief he has done ! how many doubts did 
he project into my own mind ! Well, the Church still 
lives. One of the first things I noticed on entering the 
hotel was a card announcing that there was a branch 
depository of the Bible Society in it, and directing the 
stranger where to apply for Bibles. 

Before I retired I walked out alone to take a view of 
the city. It is the capital of the Canton Vaud, and 
contains nearly twenty thousand inhabitants. It stands 
ou the slope of Mount Jorat, which gently glides down 
to the lake, broken, however, by several ravines, which 
give it the appearance of a natural terrace. The streets 
are irregular and steep. Few houses stand on the same 
level. Directly in front of the hotel is a valley spanned 



222 LETTERS FROM EUROPE. 

by a viaduct and causeway. As I crossed this I could 
look down through the chimneys of the habitations 
below, shaded though they were by the successive rows 
of evergreens that occupied the space between the sum- 
mits and the base of the valley. On the opposite side 
of the causeway I found myself in the older parts of the 
town. Advancing, I soon came to the Cathedral — a 
large, Gothic building, said to be the finest in Switzer- 
land. It was founded A. D. 1800. It contains the 
remains of many great men; but, perhaps, those of no 
better one than Bernard de Menthon, who, before this 
church was erected, preached Jesus to the rude inhabit- 
ants of the mountains, and illustrated the benevolence 
of the Christian faith by founding two monasteries in 
the Alpine passes, for the relief of the unfortunate 
traveler and the comfort of the way-worn pilgrim — mon- 
uments which seem to be as lasting as the mountains, 
one of which — that of Great Saint Bernard — still bears 
his name. 

As the night was serene and the sky was unclouded, I 
continued my walk till a late hour. 

In the morning I opened my blinds to look out into 
the court and garden of the hotel. It is most beautifully 
adorned with trees and flowers, and beyond it is a terrace 
commanding a view of the lake, and shaded by a lime 
and some acacias planted by Gibbon, and underneath 
which he was wont to walk after laying down the pen. 



LAUSANNE, ETC. 223 



LAUSANNE, BASLE, ETC. 

BREAKFAST at Hotel Gibbon is usually served in the 
garden. Seated at the table shortly after sunrise, in 
company with some Frenchmen and Germans, I asked 
one of them if the cholera had ever visited Switzerland ? 
"0, no," said he, "it can not come hither; it finds the 
mountains too fatiguing." I wish I could impart to my 
readers the pleasure I enjoyed at a Lausanne breakfast. 
Fancy yourself at sunrise, in the court of a garden, 
under the shade of the great historian's limes and aca- 
cias, with your eyes running down the green and gentle 
slopes of the Jorat to the quiet bosom of that lake of 
which Voltaire said, " Mon lac est le premier," and over 
to the everlasting mountains, that are associated with the 
most glorious history, and the most glorious poetry, and 
the most glorious religion in the world. And then, as 
you take full draughts of aromatic coffee, and eat the de- 
licious staff of life, the fragrance of the rose and the 
blushing vine comes wafted on the breeze; verily I have 
seen no tavern better than this "''Hotel Gibbon," I have 
experienced no physical comfort better than this garden 
table. Gibbon does not deserve all the credit he re- 
ceives; for, seated here, with paper before him, it seems 
to me that his pen would go itself, and go smoothly. 

It was in this canton, I suppose, that the recent Euro- 
pean revolutions began. In 1845, / thinJc — for I write 
"from notes by the way," without any time to make 



224 LETTERS FROM EUROPE. 

references — a revolution occurred here vrliicii extended 
suffrage to paupers, and even minors, and subjected tlie 
Cturcli to the state, to be governed by an executive 
council selected by general suffrage. Thus, minors, vag- 
abonds, socialists, and all, have a voice, in governing the 
Church of God. This is democracy with a vengeance ! 
The revolution seemed to ground itself on opposition to 
all law and all authority. Here the term Methodist is 
very common, although there are few, if any Methodists 
to be met with — it is a term of reproach for Evangelical 
Christians. You may rely upon it, when I heard this, I 
began to feel proud of the title. When the revolution- 
ary mob paraded the streets of this city, what, think you, 
was their rallying cry? "Down with the Methodists! 
down with almighty (rod I" Mark the association, and 
see if we have any reason to be ashamed of our title in 
the Alps. There is no want of education here; schools 
are general, accessible, and well conducted. The religion 
is chiefly Protestant; it is computed that only 3,000 out 
of near 200,000 are Catholics. Among these Churches 
there are doubtless many very evangelical, self-denying 
Christians ; these, if I understand it, are mostly in the 
Free Church, which was formed in 1847. 

Let us leave Lausanne. We take diligence and drive 
first to Yverdun, passing through a healthful, picturesque, 
undulating, and fertile district of country — having abund- 
ance of cattle, numerous vineyards, unimportant manu- 
factures, and considerable transit trade. Yverdun is at 
the southern extremity of Lake Neufchatel, and contains 
four or five thousand people. There is here a castle built 
in the twelfth century, which is remarkable as the scene 
of Pestallozi's unsuccessful attempt to found a school 
upon his own system early in the present century. It is 
not every speculator who possesses practical wisdom. 

From Yverdun we skirt the shores of Neufchatel, 



HOTEL ACCOMMODATIONS. 225 

through Grandson and St. Aubin, to the city of Neufcha- 
tel, and from Neufchatel to Bienne, on the Lake of 
Bieune. The ride was delightful, through vineyards and 
flowery fields, by massive castles and forsaken abbeys; 
through valleys that once echoed to the war-horns of Uri 
and Unterwalden, and over hights where Swiss hosts 
kneeled in prayer and received on their lances the cavalry 
charge of their tyrants. 

Shortly after leaving the city of Bienne, whose neigh- 
borhood affords the most grand and enchanting views, 
night overtook us. Onward we went, up and down the 
mountains, till morning came and found us in Basle. 

The Hotel de Trois Rois had been recommended to me, 
but as I was weary, and it was yet dawn, I stepped into 
the one nearest the station — the Hotel au Bee d'Or — a 
house of no great pretensions, but which afforded me 
very comfortable quarters, and satisfactory entertainment. 
After a little repose I set out to see the city. It is di- 
vided into great Basle and little Basle, and stands on 
high banks sloping from a level tract of land, amid the 
mountains and valleys of the Jura and Black Forest. A 
jealousy long cherished between the country people and 
the city people, reminding us of the petty jealousy of 
village brethren and country brethren in most of our 
western congregations, reached a bloody crisis here in 
1830, and divided the canton into ''City Basle" and 
" Country Basle " — the one aristocratic, the other demo- 
cratic ; the one conservative, the other progressive; the 
population of the latter being nearly double that of the 
former. Each is governed by its own Council, and has 
half a vote in the Diet. The canton is tolerably fruitful 
in grain and live stock, having a happy combination of 
vineyards, woodland, meadows, and cultivated fields. 
The city is celebrated for the manufacture of ribbons, of 
which it is said to export above $1,000,000 worth annu- 



226 LETTERS FROM EUROPE. 

ally to tte United States alone! It contains the oldest 
university in Switzerland, whicli was founded by Pope 
Pius II, in 1495. It was one of the first objects of my 
attention. The Cathedral was the next. This dates 
1319, and was built where once the Roman fortress Ba- 
silia stood. Among its tombs are those of Ecolampadius 
and Erasmus. Near it is the Concilium Saal, where, in 
the fifteenth century, the Council of Basle was held. I 
next took a survey of the Arsenal and Town-House, and 
then crossing the fine bridge, of six hundred feet, which 
spans the Rhine, surveyed the opposite part of the city. 
I was very much charmed with the beauty of the 
stream — gushing, clear, and green — along which I could 
long have wandered without growing weary. In one of 
my rambles I saw a most beautiful inclosure, which struck 
me as a public garden, in the midst of which was what I 
supposed to be a summer-house, neat and airy. Looking 
through the palling, I was wondering how I could gain 
access. The persons passing spoke the German, of 
which, I am ashamed to say, I know little or nothing. 
Presently a gentleman opened the gate, and passing rap- 
idly down a graveled walk, disappeared. Thinks I to my- 
self, what one man can do another can; so I slipped a 
bolt, as he had done, and passed in. Instantly the iron 
gate closed upon me, locking me in — a graveyard. Well, 
being in, I thought I would enjoy it, trusting to Provi- 
dence to let me out. The graves were just like so many 
flower-beds. One was a bed of roses; another of pinks; 
another of carnations; another of violets. From each 
one arose a slight metallic shaft, surmounted by an em- 
blem, and bearing a name, and in some cases an epitaph. 
The emblems were beautiful and significant. Here was 
an anchor; there was a shield; yonder a heavenward- 
pointing hand, or a gentle lamb in a shepherd's arms. 
The walks were all bordered with flowers and refreshed 



BASLE. 227 

with a light shade from a few ornamental trees. Advanc- 
ing, I came to a wall of formidable hight, affording no 
hope of escape. So I turned back and stood at the pali- 
sade till I succeeded in making a soldiei", who passed 
along, understand my wishes and let me out. 

This city is associated with Holbein, the artist. Here 
he worked for a long time as a house and sign painter, 
with just enough compensation to starve comfortably 
upon. This canton pays great attention to education. 
Its University is in good repute, though far less cele- 
brated than formerly. In the days of Erasmus, Euler, 
and Bernouilli, it was unsurpassed. One-fifth of the 
public revenue of Basle is devoted to popular education. 

Basle is, for the most part, Protestant. After the rev- 
ocation of the Edict of Nantz, it became the refuge of 
a great many French Protestants. The population for 
many years since that time seems to have been Puritan, 
having had official censors to regulate the color and cut 
of garments, both male and female ; the number of 
servants in a family, and of dishes and bottles on the 
table ; also to keep up the rate of interest. Some relics 
of these "Blue Laws" are still in force, such as a rule 
forbidding the entrance or departure of a carriage during 
the hours of morning worship. After all, we must 
respect the feeling in which these regulations — so indica- 
tive of saving knowledge — originated. Methodism found 
here its first mountain cradle. 

Down to the close of the last century Basle kept her 
clocks an hour ahead of the world. Since that time she 
has concluded to go at a regular pace. If any land 
deserves the honor of being ahead of time, it is ours. 
Why not put your clock an hour in advance ! Come, I'll 
join you. 



228 LETTERS FROM EUROPE. 



BASLE AND STRASBOURG. 

A T Basle is found a very irregular surface, as in many 
-^■*- other cities. Even London has its hills. In Basle 1 
ascended one street whose sidewalks are provided with a 
railing — a provision by no means unnecessary, and of 
which I gladly availed myself in walking up. In the vil- 
lages and cities of our own country there seems to be too 
great a tendency to level the hills and fill the valleys — to 
reduce every thing, at any cost, to a dead level. Now, 
though it may not be pleasant to get up street by the aid 
of a railing, yet it is desirable to have some variety. 
How soon the eye wearies in a plain ! When Dr. Hall 
was confined to Oxford, the dull uniformity of the scenery 
around him was most annoying to his soul, and induced 
him to cry out, "Herein is the patience and faith of the 
saints." The streets, also, in most of the cities that I 
have seen in Europe, are irregular. How difi'erent with 
us ! Here we lay ofi" our towns • like ancient Babylon, 
though on a reduced scale. This, it is true, is very con- 
venient in many respects j but what we gain in conven- 
ience, we lose in novelty and picturesqueness. In one 
particular we, I trust, shall never imitate the transatlantic 
cities: I mean the narrowness of their streets. With 
the exception of their principal avenues, the streets, even 
business ones, are wanting in width. Paternoster Row, 
in London — a noted street for booksellers — is not wider, 



BY RAIL TO STRASBOURG. 229 

I think, than the ordinary sidewalks of our country vil- 
lages; it merely allows the passage of a dray, and a nar- 
row footpath on each side ; it would be impossible to do 
an extensive business upon it were it not short, and favor- 
ed with numerous passages into wider streets in the vicin- 
ity. I suppose the high price of land, the necessity in 
early times of keeping within the walls or fortifications 
of the city, and the propriety of preventing the free pas- 
sage of an invading force, have contracted the streets of 
the old cities of Europe. Another peculiarity patent to 
the stranger is this : the large amount of women's work 
done out of doors. The washing, for instance, seems to 
be all done at the public pumps or by the river's side. 

But we are leaving Basle. Here we take the railroad 
for Strasbourg. The company is principally German ; the 
railroad conveniences are not materially different from 
those of England. The principal stations are, 1. Rix- 
heim, celebrated for its wall paper j 2. Muhlhausen, 
noted for its cotton prints and muslins, which are said to 
surpass those of any other place in the world for the per- 
fection of the work, the variety of the patterns, and the 
quantity produced. The town is watered by the 111, and 
by the canal which unites the Rhine and the Rhone; 
3. Colmar — capital of the department Haut Rhin, and 
near the foot of the Vosges Mountains — an important 
manufacturing town of about 12,000 inhabitants; 4. 
Schlestadt, another manufacturing place, nearly as large 
as Colmar. The railroad runs up the valley of the 111, 
parallel with the Rhine, along the foot of the Vosges, 
over numerous bridges that cover the streamlets from the 
mountain chain, and through a level and fertile country 
by no means wanting in historic interest. At Mexheim 
stands the castle Isemburg, once the abode of the Abro- 
vingian sovereigns. Eguisheim is the birthplace of Leo 
IX. Along the crest of hills, near Ribeauville, runs a 



230 LETTERS FROM EUROPE. 

wall of unhewn and uneemented stones, known as the 
"Pagan AVall/' a work of unknown use and antiquity. 
Here is a city once independent, now swallowed up by a 
neigliboring nation; there are the traces of the robber 
knights, and yonder the marks of the "Thirty Years' 
War." 

At five o'clock we enter Strasbourg. We reach the 
Hotel de Paris in time for table d'hote, which is equal 
to any thing we have met with for the gratification of the 
epicure. Here, having but little time to tarry, I em- 
ployed a "commissaire" to show me the city. This, a3 
you know, is a very old place — the Argentoratum of the 
Romans; it is a formidable frontier fortress, which, even 
in time of peace, commands a garrison of 6,000 soldiers. 
It stands on both sides of the 111, a mile and a half from 
the Rhine, to which its glacis extends. Although it has 
been united to France since 1681, it bears the marks of 
its German origin in structure, customs, and language. 
We first went to the Church of St. Thomas. This is oc- 
cupied by a Protestant Lutheran congregation. Entering 
a small apartment, we saw inclosed in glass cases two 
bodies, arrayed in clothing, which are objects of melan- 
choly curiosity, on account of the perfect preservation in 
which the persons and their garments were found, after 
the lapse of more than a hundred years. They are said 
to be a Count of Nassau Saareverden and his daughter. 
In this church are the tombs of a brother of pastor Ober- 
lin, and of that remarkable scholar, Schoepflin, who de- 
clined invitations to the most gorgeous courts of Europe, 
that he might enjoy the tranquillity of a professorship in 
Strasbourg. The most remarkable object of this church, 
however, is the monument of Marshal Saxe, erected to 
his memory by Louis XV. It represents the General de- 
scending, with a tranquil and collected mien, to the 
grave; Death, with his hour-glass, is calling him into the 



ROYAL ACADEMY. 231 

open tomb; France, personified in a beautified female, 
begs for delay; his genius weeps among the banners 
which are trophies of his victories; Hercules bends as a 
mourner over the coffin; Saxony, which gave him birth, 
and Flanders, which was the scene of some of his ex- 
ploits, are represented under their appropriate emblems. 
This grand effort of the chisel, the masterpiece of the 
artist Pigalle, and which cost him twenty-five years of 
labor, narrowly escaped the devastating madness of the 
French revolution, by being concealed in straw. 

Here is the Academic lloyal, where, among other dis- 
tinguished scholars, Goethe completed his studies, and 
graduated LL. D. There is also a rich museum of natu- 
ral history, and a public library containing many valuable 
books, and some of the earliest specimens of the typo- 
graphical art. It is still, I believe, a disputed point 
when and by whom printing was first invented. Stras- 
bourg, Mentz, and Haerlem contend for the honor. It is 
certain, however, that Strasbourg considers her claim 
good. She avers that the earliest attempt at printing 
was made within her walls in 1436 by John Guttemburgh, 
who, however, removed to Mayence before he brought 
his art to perfection. His assistant, Peter Schoffer, was 
also a citizen of this city. A monument to commemo- 
rate these facts — the statue of Guttemburgh — stands on 
the Place Guttemburgh; in connection with it I noticed 
the head of Dr. Franklin. Strasbourg may save her- 
self the trouble of contending for the honor she claims, 
for the art was known to Veni<ie early in the fourteenth 
century, and she derived it from China, who possessed it 
before the Christian era. The ancient Roman tradesmen 
used stamps for their pottery and labels, from which 
books might have been printed. To the inventor of 
modern paper is due the glory of the art of printing, 
since it led to its application in the multiplication of 



232 LETTERS FROM EUROPE. 

books. This gave rise to the invention of movable types 
by Guttemburgh, then the casting of them in metal, etc. 
Of the last great improvement the honor is due, I sup- 
pose, to Schoffer, the son-in-law of Faust, who probably 
first introduced it into Mayence or Mentz. 

Strasbourg is a place of great manufacturing import- 
ance. Woolen, linen, and cotton stuffs, buttons, twist, 
and hats, paper, playing-cards, and printing-type are 
among its products. There is one article for which it 
has obtained a world-wide celebrity, and for whicb it 
is greatly desired by all who have attained to high gas- 
tronomical cultivation. I mean the pates de foies gras, 
made of large goose-livers. The process for enlarging 
. the livers of these animals resembles that which is often 
adopted for the enlargement of the minds of some other 
young animals. It consists in, 1. Keeping the animal 
cool; 2. Keeping him dark; 3. Keeping him still; 
4. StuflSing him well. Hence, the place generally se- 
lected is the cellar; the time, the winter; and the 
means, injecting, by the mouth, frequently and regularly, 
a paste of Indian meal through a large syringe; the poor 
bird's cage is so small that it can not turn round, and can 
scarcely lie down, so that resistance is in vain, and it 
must swallow and run to liver. In some cases the organ 
becomes as large and soft as many a man's head. I par- 
took of the dish with no great gusto, my taste not being 
very appreciative. 

The vicinity of this city to the Rhine makes it an 
important frontier entrepot. It seems to be regarded 
with great interest by the French, who have laid out 
large sums upon its fortifications; it is completely encir- 
cled by a bastional line of ramparts, and among its de- 
fenses is a citadel built by that distinguished military 
engineer, Vauban. Sluices have been constructed in its 
vicinity, by means of which an enemy investing the city 



NOTRE DAME. 233 

might be flooded. This cold-water process is much 
better than the hot gunpowder one. 

The most remarkable object of Strasbourg is its cathe- 
dral, or Church of Noti'e Dame. It moved me more 
than any other house of worship that I have seen. Its 
west front rises up to the hight of two hundred and 
thirty feet, presenting an imposing mass of stone, em- 
bracing a net-work of the most delicate arcades and pil- 
lars, statues and bells, like Lebanon, with its leafy 
cedars. In the center is a richly-ornamented circular 
window of stained glass, forty-eight feet in diameter; 
below is a triple portal, whose numerous statues, sculp- 
tures, and bas-reliefs would afford study for a year; the 
originals were destroyed by the vandalism of the Revolu- 
tion; but the existing ones are said to be admirable 
copies. On the north side of this grand entrance up 
springs a spire toward the sun, four hundred and sixty- 
five and three-quarters feet — seven feet higher than St. 
Peter's and five feet higher than the great pyramid of 
Cheops — presenting, in amazing combination, solidity 
and lightness, magnificence and elegance, majesty and 
grace. 

On a nearer approach to the building, we find the 
ornaments are mostly of religious significance, exhibiting 
Scripture facts, and the leading doctrines of the Chris- 
tian faith. The fore-front is divided by counter-forts 
into three broad, vertical bands — the foreparts of the 
northward and southward towers, and the centric portal — 
each having its portico; in niches of the counter -forts, 
at the bottom of the rose window, are four equestrian 
statues, those of Clovis, Dagobert, Rodolphe of Haps- 
burg, and Louis XIV. 

Above the middle portal and the southward tower is a 
spacious platform guarded by a balustrade, and containing 
a house for the guardians that strike the hours and ring 

20 



234 LETTERS PROM EUROPE. 

tt'e alarm-bells. Northward of this rises tlie tower which. 
supports the spire; it is octagonal in form, and consists 
of stony buttresses ornamented with columns and statues, 
having apertures for long windows. Here is a clock, the 
hour-bells, and gate-bell ; from this tower up springs the 
spire, which is an octangular pyramid; six successive 
floors of little turrets are placed pyramidically over one 
another; above this rises the lantern, above that the 
crown, and then the cross. 

But let us enter. The length of the nave is three 
hundred and seventy-eight feet; breadth, one hundred 
and forty feet It is lighted by magnificent chandeliers, 
and supported by seven gigantic pillars, composed of 
round, agglomerated columns. Yonder is a group of 
worshipers, apparently engaged in earnest devotion; and 
here are the strangers with their guides wandering over 
the smooth stone pavement, or pausing before the most 
noteworthy objects. Among these is the interior front; 
over the principal porch is a beautiful, sculptured, round 
window, between which and the grand marigold window 
is a glass gallery. Above the arches that unite the pil- 
lars on both sides of the nave, all along, is a Grothic gal- 
lery, which affords a foundation to windows resembling 
those in the lower sides of the Church. The glasses 
of the upper galleries represent, among other objects, 
the seventy-four ancestors of Christ. On the left side 
of the nave stands the organ, rising up to the superior 
arch — a grand work of Silbermann, dated 1704. 

On the same side stands the pulpit, erected, by Ham- 
merer, in 1486. It is elegantly sculptured, and adorned 
with a great number of statuettes. The choir is at the 
intersection of the transepts and nave ; it is surmounted 
by a cupola, open and lighted on all sides. 

But the greatest curiosity is the astronomical clock. 
There has been a clock of this description in this church 



THE GREAT CLOCK. 235 

for five hundred years. The first one consisted, first, of 
a universal calendar, above which was an astrolabe, and 
surmounted by four statues, representing the three wise 
men and the Virgin Mary. By an ingenious mechanism 
the former were made to bow every hour before the 
latter, when a chime of harmonious sounds and the crow- 
ing of a cock were simultaneously produced. 

The present clock was commenced in 1547 by Herr, 
Herlin, and Prugner; resumed in 1570 by Dasypodius, 
Habrecht, and Simmer j completed in 1574; stopped in 
1789; and restituted in 1842 by Schwilque, after four 
years' labor. It was the masterpiece of the mechanical 
art of the sixteenth centurj' : it is how one of the most 
beautiful and wonderful achievements of the present 
age. The interior works are entirely new, and adapted 
to the present state of astronomical knowledge. This 
clock contains an orrery after the Copernican system, 
exhibiting the mean tropical revolutions of the planets 
visible to the unaided eye, the phases of the moon, the 
eclipses both of the sun and moon, calculated forever; 
the true time as well as the sidereal; a new celestial 
globe with the precession of the equinoxes, solar and 
lunar equations for the reduction of the mean geocentric 
ascension and declination of the sun and moon at true 
times and places; and an ecclesiastical computation with 
its various indications. The artist has altered the old 
calendar into a perpetual one, with an addition of the 
variable holidays, according to their connection with 
Easter or Advent Sundays, and indicated the suppres- 
sion of the secular bissextile days. The dial-plate is 
subject to a revolution of three hundred and sixty-five 
or three hundred and sixty-six days, as the case may be. 

There are a number of movable statues, among which 
are Jesus Christ, the twelve apostles, death, a cock, and 
four figures representing childhood, youth, manhood, and 



236 LETTERS FROM EUROPE. 

age. These all have their appointed duties. Childhood 
strikes the first quarter, youth the second, manhood the 
third, and old age the last; death strikes the hours, 
while a genius above the calendar turns an hour-glass. 
At noon the twelve apostles pass before the Savior, bow- 
ing as they go; as he raises his hands to bless them, the 
cock, flapping his wings, crows three times distinctly. 

The antiquity and history of this church add greatly 
to its charm. 

The spot, tradition says, has been sacred from the 
earliest ages; here the Druid bowed beneath the sacred 
wood, and offered his sacrifices to Esus ; here, after the 
conquest of the Gauls by the Romans, a temple was 
reared to Hercules and Mars; here, in the fourth cen- 
tury, St. Armand built a rude Christian church on the 
ruins of the Roman temple. Next came the conquering 
Clovis, with his brave Franks, who removed the edifice 
in 510. Successive grants to the bishoprick by Dagobert 
II, Count Rudhard, and Charlemagne, occasioned the 
Cathedral. It has been rebuilt a number of times. The 
present structure was commenced in 1275, by Erwin, of 
Steinbach, who ranks first among the architects of the 
middle ages. He continued to superintend it till he 
died, in 1318 ; when he was succeeded in the work by 
his son, John, who carried it forward till death trans- 
ferred him to another scene, in 1339. The northern 
tower was terminated in 1265; in 1439 John Hultz, 
of Cologne, laid the last stone of the spire. It is still 
undergoing repair under competent architects. Grand 
old church ! Thrice has it been shaken by earth- 
quakes ; often has it been stained with fraternal blood ; 
six times have the flames raged within its walls; again 
and again has the lightning smitten its spire; it has been 
under various rulers, civil and ecclesiastical ; the Refor- 
mation put it into the hands of Protestants, and the oapit- 



STRASBOURG TO PARIS. 23T 

ulation of 1681 restored it to the Catholics. The Jaco- 
bins proposed to tear down its spire, because it con- 
temned the principle of equality; but amid lightnings, 
fires, earthquakes, revolutions, reformations, reactions, 
vandalism, and the ravages of time, it still stands erect 
and glorious. 

It is time we left Strasbourg. We go directly to Paris 
by railway — distance two hundred and fifty miles. Tak- 
ing the stopping-train, that we may see as much of the 
country as possible, we are fifteen hours on the way. 
Our route is through the rich plain of Alsace, scarce 
equaled in France for fertility. Over the Vosges chain 
of mountains, by a series of tunnels, up the Zorn, across 
the Abenth and the Meuse, through the vales of the Or- 
nain, the Saulx, and the Mane, and the important cities 
of Saverne, Luneville, Nancy, Toul, Bar-le-Duc, Vitry- 
le-Francais, Chalons Sur Marne, Epernay, and Meaux; 
over the ditch of the fortifications and the canal St. 
Denis to the terminus. At Nancy we were reminded 
of the prettiest town in France; at Chalons, of the great 
wine-merchant, who uses $30,000 worth of corks every 
year, and constantly keeps 4,000,000 bottles of wine on 
hand; at Epernay, of the headquarters of Champagne 
wine ; at Chateau Theirry, of the poet La Fontaine ; at 
La Ferti, of the Burr stones ; and at MeaUx, of Bos 
suet, "the eagle of Meaux." We are now at Paris 
again, and have an opportunity of making some obser- 
vations on French manners and character. 



238 LETTERS FROM EUROPE, 



TRAVELING. 

I HAVE spoken of the perfection of the railways in 
England. Those of France are equally good. No 
road can be used till it is finished. When you drive up 
to the station an officer in a certain uniform meets you, 
and, inquiring your destination, takes charge of your 
baggage and informs you how soon the train will leave. 
Another officer, in a different uniform, conducts you to 
the ticket office, and as soon as you have obtained your 
ticket he asks to see it; if it be a first-class ticket he 
conducts you to the first-class waiting-hall, where com- 
fortable seats, tables, and other furniture are found; if 
it be a second-class ticket he conducts you to the second- 
class waiting-hall, where the furniture is less elegant; 
if a third-class, to the third-class hall. Between these 
halls there is usually no communication. Here you may 
look through windows and glass doors at the cars and 
engines, but you can not pass out to the platform till an 
officer at the appointed moment unlocks the door and 
leads you to the carriage. I say carriage, because these 
cars are carriages, similar to our most elegant stage- 
coaches, but larger. The first-class carriages are ranged 
opposite to the first-class waiting-hall, the second-class op- 
posite the second-class hall, etc. As soon as you are seated 
another officer comes along and asks to see your ticket, 
and locks you in, before the cars move. Armed police 
are patrolling at different points, ready to enforce order 



TRAVELING. 239 

at the bayonet's point. No lounger is permitted to 
occupy any part of the premises. Notice is given in a 
bulletin at the entrance that no one can pass but a hona- 
fide traveler. An important precaution against accidents 
and robbery. 

I remarked, in a previous letter, that the second-class 
cars are equal to the first-class. The remark must be 
qualified. Experience has convinced me that it is best for 
others besides "fools and dukes" to select them, for the 
following reasons: First, greater comfort. In England the 
second-class cars are not cushioned; in France, however, 
they are, but the seats are not constructed so as to enable 
you to sleep comfortably, as in those of the first-class. 
Second, better company. The middle classes in England 
use too much beer; those in France too much wine; 
and those in Switzerland and Germany too much tobacco. 
Not that passengers of this class generally annoy you, 
but one in a car is enough to render it unpleasant; cor- 
rection may be promptly secured if you complain, but 
few will do that. Third, greater speed. On the best 
express trains they carry none but first-class passengers. 
On reaching Dover en route for London from Paris, I 
found that the first-class train started ofi" and left the 
second-class to come on afterward, and reached London 
some hours later. Fourth, greater safety. The express 
carriages usually occupy such positions in the train as to 
secure the passengers pretty well from injury even in 
case of collision. At every station there is posted, in a 
bulletin, a list of the trains, by their numbers, and the 
hours at which each is to depart from that station ; no 
train can leave before its appointed moment by chro- 
nometer. 

It is curious to observe the nicety of railroad rules, 
and the manner in which they are enforced. Arriving too 
late at a station in London, I was detained for an hour 



240 LETTERS PROM EUROPE. 

or two waiting for the next train. To amuse myself I 
copied from a number of bulletins which were posted the 
following specimens : 

APOLOGY. 

I, J. H., of No. 20, Queen -street, Rusholme, do hereby acknowl- 
edge to having, on the 9th instant, at the Stockport station of the 
London and North-Western railway, got into a carriage of the 
above company while the same was in motion, thereby committing 
an offense against the sixth rule of that company's by-laws, for 
which dangerous act I am very sorry, and promise never to do so 
again. And in consideration of this public acknowledgment, the 
company have kindly consented to forego proceedings against me 
for the recovery of the penalty to which I have rendered myself 

liable. As witness my hand and seal this 11th day of , 

1854. J. H. 

CAUTION. 

B. R. was brought before the Stockport bench of magistrates, on 
"Wednesday, 28th instant, for being drank and disorderly in the 
Heaton Norris station on the night of the 2d, abusing the passen- 
gers and obstructing the porters in the discharge of their duty, and 
was sentenced to twenty-one days imprisonment in default of being 
able to find sureties to keep the peace for six months. 

CAR D. 

J. W. was taken into custody at Huddersfield, on the 27th 
ultimo, charged with traveling from Leeds to Huddersfield, on the 
London and North-West ern railway, having previously paid his 
fare to Mirfield only, being clearly an attempt to defraud that com- 
pany of the fare from Mirfield to Huddersfield. The magistrates 
convicted in a penalty of £1. 

SAFETY. 

The little danger to which one is subjected in railway 
traveling in Europe is best seen in the price of insurance 
against railway accidents, which is as follows : 

1. Single or return journey : for a ticket covering the 
risk of a single journey, irrespective of distance, 

To insure £1,000 3 pence, if first-class passenger. 

" " 500 2 " if second-class " 

" " 200 1 penny, if third-class 



INSURANCE AND RAILWAYS. 241 

For return or double-journey ticket, double the above 
rates are charged. 

2. For periods of time from one to twelve months; for a 
periodical ticket which covers the risk of traveling on 
any railway in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and 
Ireland : 

To insure £200 a year a premium of 5 shillings. 
" 1,000 " " of 20 « 

3. For a term of five or ten years : 

To insure for 5 years £1,000, premium £3 10s. 
" " for 10 " 1,000, •' 6. 

With the option of traveling in any class carriages. 

4. For the whole of life in any class carriage, by 
a single payment. To insure any sum not exceeding 
£1,000, at the following rates per cent.: 

Age 20, £1 1 Age 35, £0 19 Age 50, £0 15 
" 25, 10 6 " 40, 18 " 55, 13 6 

" 30, 10 " 45, 16 " 60, 12 

By annual payments on a decreasing scale : 

For the first five years, annual premium £1 00 
" " next " " " " 15 

" " next " " " " 1 10 

" " next " « " " 5 

The sums assured are to be paid to the representatives 
of the ticket holders within three months in the event of 
an accident terminating fatally, and compensation pro- 
portioned to the sum assured will be paid to themselves 
when the accident results in personal injury, on the es- 
tablishment of the validity of the claim. Notwithstand- 
ing the ease and cheapness of insurance, the number 
obtaining it is small, and has been decreasing gradually 
for the last two years. This, however, does not certainly 
denote an increased safety. Should an accident occur 
by railway to some eminent person, we should see a rise 

in the business of the railway insurance company. 

21 



242 LETTERS FROM EUROPE. 

You perceive, in regard to freightj the same delicate 
gradation of charges and services as in relation to pas- 
sengers. For example, per tun on the London and North- 
Western railway, the charges are, 

By express train 2d. per mile. 

First class, other train ^/'2^^ " 

Second class, " " Id. " 

Third class, " " 3^d. '« 

Horse, mule, and other beast of draught 2d. " 

Cattle, per head Id. " 

Calves, pigs, sheep, and other small animals. . . i^d. 

Every carriage 3d. " 

Lime and undressed materials for building, per 

tun Id. " 

Coal, cinders, etc per tun, %d. " 

Iron, etc " ^d. '" 

Sugar, grain, corn, etc " 2d. " 

Cotton, wool, drugs, etc " Sj^d. " 

Feathers, hats, etc " 3d. " 

Payable at the first station arrived at after entry upon 
the line, in respect to the distance on that line then 
traversed and at each successive station, and the said to 
be paid to the respective passenger station masters; and 
when the journey on the line shall end by divergence 
therefrom, the tolls payable in respect of any distance 
then traversed for which no tolls shall have been paid, 
are payable at the point or place of divergence to the 
respective pointsmen on duty there. 

This subdivision of services and prices is to be seen 
every-where and in all things. 

In Switzerland the diligences are divided into different 
apartments with various advantages and charges accord- 
ingly. The coupe is the best apartment, especially for 
ladies; it is in front, and has glass windows on three 
sides, so that the occupant can have a fine view of the 
country and yet be perfectly sheltered. The banquette 
comes next: it is in front and above the driver's seat, 



SWISS POSTAL REGULATIONS. 243 

protected by a calash top; gentlemen usually prefer it to 
the coupe. Then comes the interieur; then the rotonde, 
and the cabriolet. 

I can not better show the particularity which is ob- 
served in their arrangements, than by translating one of 
the cards which I received on securing a seat: 

Formulaire No. 5. Admiuistration of the Swiss Postes. Bul- 
letin of registration of places. Monsieur T. has paid for one place 

in the diligence from Lausanne to Basle ff cent. 

For surplus weight ff " 

Total ff « 

Depart from Lausanne 31st August, 1854, at 5^^ hour in the 
morning. 

Place No. — , coupe. 

" " 1, interieur. 
" " — , rotonde, 
" " — , cabriolet. 
" " — , ou banquette. 
N. B. This bulletin ought to be exhibited when necessary. 

REGULATIONS OF THE SAVISS POSTES. 

1. The price of the places and of the weight should 
be paid immediately on entering the seats. 

2. The hour of departure is fixed by the clock of the 
poste. 

3. Each traveler ought to present himself five minutes 
at least before the departure. No indemnity is allowed 
to a traveler who, leaving the vehicle, is unable to re- 
join it. 

4. The baggage for which the traveler invokes the 
responsibility of the poste, ought to be provided with an 
address indicating distinctly the name of the traveler 
and his place of destination; the baggage ought to be 
presented half an hour at least before the departure of 
the courier to the bureau having charge of the expedi- 
tion. 

5. In case of the loss of any of the objects named in 



244 LETTERS FROM EUROPE. 

article 4tli, compensation will be rendered as follows : for 
a trunk or valise exceeding the weight of fifty livres, 
143fF; for a trunk, valise, or a sack exceeding the weight 
of twenty-five up to fifty livres, SQS; any object exceed- 
ing the weight of twelve livres up to twenty-five, 292"; 
any object from twelve livres and below, 15fF. 

6. The traveler who desires a more ample guarantee 
for his baggage, should consign it to the expedition as 
an article of merchandise, with an indication of its real 
value, and pay for it by weight according to the price 
fixed by tariif. 

7. The postal administration is not responsible for bag- 
gage which the traveler holds under his own surveillance, 
or which he commits to the guard of the conductor. 

8. Each traveler has a right to transport gratis forty 
livres of baggage; for all beyond he must pay according 
to the mercantile tariff. 

9. Children under ten years pay for half a place. 

10. The occupancy of places is regulated after that 
of the inscription at the point of departure ; the number 
is available only so far as the passage to the place in the 
same vehicle ; the traveler arriving by the " correspond- 
ing services," as he who takes a place "en route," has no 
right only to the seats made vacant in the ordinary car- 
riage or in the supplementary service, if it is admitted 
upon the line. 

11. It is forbidden to introduce dogs or other animals 
into the carriage. 

12. It is not permitted to smoke in the carriage with- 
out having previously obtained the consent of the trav- 
elers. 

13. Each traveler is responsible for the damage which 
he causes to the carriage. 

14. Every halt, contrary to instructions, particularly at 
the taverns, is severely interdicted. 



BILL OF FARE. 245 

15. The conductor is to be attentive to every reason- 
able demand of the traveler. All complaints against the 
conductor, or other employes attached to the postal serv- 
ice, should be carried to the Bureau of the Posts, that is 
to say, if you wish redress. 

A conductor, in a neat uniform, attends each diligence, 
from the point of departure to its destination, directing 
the drivers, superintending the changes, and supervising 
passengers' baggage, etc. The changes are frequent, and 
the driving rapid. You hear the music of the whip 
night and day, with scarce any intermission, save when 
the driver makes the mountains echo the notes of his 
Swiss horn, as he plays some national air. 

At taverns and boarding-houses you find the same 
minuteness. In Europe public houses charge not by the 
day or week, but according to a fixed scale, for precisely 
what you have. Here is a section of my boarding-house 
bill, London : 

August 3, 

Breakfast £0 1 9 

Lunch 

Dinner 2 

Tea 1 6 

Supper 

Bed 020 

Servants 6 

Boots 2 

Washing 1 

Writing-paper 

Postage , 

Ginger-beer 

When boarders continue some time, and prefer to pay 
by the day, they are charged at this house six shillings 
and sixpence a day — or about $11 per week. The charges 
at a tavern are higher. Thus, for a moderate liver at the 
London Coffee-House : 



246 LETTERS PROM EUROPE. 

Bed £0 2 6 

Breakfast 020 

Bell 026 

Dinner 3 

Tea 020 

Attendance, waiter, boots, etc 3 



Total £0 15 

So on the continent the bills are in a similar form. 
Take an example, extracted from my bill at Hotel Meu- 
rice, 2 Rue de Rivoli, Paris : August 22d — ^liights 2f. ; 
lodgings 3f. ; breakfast 2f. ; dinner 4f. ; tea 2f. ; service 
If. 50c. — 14f. 50c. The dinner was at table d'hote. 

A similar minuteness pervades all the ramifications of 
business. Here is a statement furnished by a banker : 

Paid to M. Thomson the value of £ , at three days sight on 

London, a 25f OOOf. 00c. 

CHAEGES TO BE DEDUCTED. 

Our commission OOf. Oc. 

Commission 00 

Stamp-tax and brokerage per for remittance. . .00 

Letter of advice of credit 00 

Premium upon OOOf. and exchange 00 

Postage on letters received on your account. . ..CO 



000 000 00 



Remains to be paid OOOf. 00c. 

MEMORANDUM OF THE PAYMENT. 

Our letter of credit upon H. & Co OOOf. 

Our payment 030 

Sum we hold at your disposal 000 

Mode of our payment — 

Bills of lOOf 

Pieces of 20f 

Crowns of 5f. 

Change of final payment 



000 



Sum equal OOOf. 

L. 0. & Co. 
Geneva, 30th August, 1854. 



THE BANKERS. 247 

It is ratlier remarkable that I met with but one bank- 
bill in Europe, and that I asked for. English banks paid 
me in sovereigns; French and Swiss in Napoleons. The 
change every-where was made in coin. Large bills are 
doubtless common among merchants. 

The bankers, by the way, were the most pleasant, gen- 
tlemanly men I met with. Though probably as sharp as 
Jews, they seemed as honest and confiding as Indian 
chiefs. True, they make you pay, but they do it in such 
a winning way that when you part with them you shake 
hands heartily, and warmly wish them salvation and suc- 
cess. Concerning the prices of merchandise I do not see 
much difference. The articles are, however, of better 
quality. A good suit of clothes will cost you in London 
£6 10 J in Paris 200 francs; a pair of boots £1 4; 
hat 8s. 

These details may, perhaps, be wearisome; but it is 
only by such that we can form a correct idea of European 
life, or derive from it hints of practical value. 



248 liETTERS FROM EUROPE 



FRENCH CHARACTE R — P OLITENESS. 

FRANCE is the polite nation. Complaisance marks 
the countenances, and gracefulness the movements, 
even of the common people. Take an introduction to an 
English gentleman, and he will carefully read it, as if de- 
termined to settle the question of its genuineness, and if 
satisfied, will formally bow to you once or twice across 
the room, and as formally, after presenting you wine, au- 
thorize you to command his services if they are needed, 
and then bow you gracefully out. Go, under like circum- 
stances, to a French gentleman, and, rising to receive 
your introductory note, after giving it a mere glance, he 
will approach you with smiles, offer you his warm hand 
with all its fingers, and perhaps apply his other hand that 
he may more closely grasp your own — and, looking you in 
the face with a countenance beaming with pleasure and 
benignity, will say, "Welcome to France, welcome to 
Paris, welcome to my home, welcome for your friend's 
sake, welcome for your own." Then inquiring concerning 
your health, your family, your country, your voyage, and 
your impressions of France, he will seat you in his own 
chair, and ask you to excuse him till he can direct his 
clerks in regard to the business of the day, and return- 
ing, gracefully announce that Ms pleasure will be to 
devote himself to yours. Vain for you to beg him not to 
encroach upon his time, or impede his business for your 
sake. Ordering a carriage, he will seat you by his side^ 



FRENCH POLITENESS. 249 

and then request you to name the objects or scenes that 
you would first witness; and when the hour for dinner 
arrives, he will land you at his own door. After meal 
he may replace you in the carriage, and perhaps say, 
"The only limit to our excursions and sight-seeing must 
be your inclinations, your engagements, or your approach- 
ing fatigue." If an Englishman were to profi'er like 
attentions, you would find it easy to pay the expenses — • 
and surely, in this there were nothing wrong; but the 
Frenchman will defray all expenses and pay all fees, so 
speedily, so artfully^that you shall have no opportunity to 
share them, and as to negotiating concerning them, his 
countenance banishes the thought. Not content with his 
own attentions, perhaps he sends to you next morning a 
polite clerk, to say that he has been commissioned to be 
your pioneer in any direction that you may desire to go. 
He takes you to Versailles, to St. Cloud, to Fontainbleau; 
he guides you, he tickets you, he feasts you, and when 
you go to pay the bills, you find them all canceled; if 
you remonstrate with him, he will say, "I do as I am 
charged. I must refer you to your friend, whose commis- 
sion I fulfill." If, oppressed by this generosity, you make 
bold to speak to that friend, or to place some Napoleons 
in his hand, he will say, "0, we must settle these things 
not in France but in America. Wait till I visit you at 
your own home." 

But how shall I describe a French gentleman? He is 
more than civil, more than afi"able, more than courteous; 
he is polite, polished, refined. He respects your judg- 
ment, defers to your taste, recognizes your pretensions, 
appreciates your merits, anticipates your wants; he is 
solicitous for your comforts, studious of your wishes, con- 
descending to your infirmities, forgetful of your foibles, 
tolerant of your errors, ready to make sacrifices for your 
enjoyment, and to seek his own pleasure in your delight. 



250 LETTERS PROM EUROPE. 

His accomplisliment is not the mere grace whicli may be 
acquired in the dancing school; it implies the absence of 
every thing offensive in language, manners, and deport- 
ment, and the uniform possession of an easy, agreeable, 
and fascinating address. His charms are not merely 
exterior — not the automatic movements of one governed 
by artificial rules — they pre-suppose a skillful analysis of 
human character and human life, a keen observation of 
men and circumstances, a vivid perception of the influ- 
ences which the most delicate attentions may exert upon 
their object, a facility of adaptation to the humors of 
men, a uniform flow of genial feeling, a perfect self- 
command, a kind and gentle heart, and an acquaintance 
with the forms of refined society. 

I have often met with politeness in our own country 
and in England, and sometimes have found among the 
unsophisticated gentry of the west a subduing suavity, 
but never have I met any thing so agreeable as the urban- 
ity of the Parisian. 

You may call this an art, ^but it is one of the liberal 
arts, and the complement of those arts which refine a 
cultivated people; it is a fine art, and the very finest of 
the fine. There is no painting or statue in the Louvre so 
pleasing to the stranger, as the countenance of a friend 
beaming with unexpected benignity; there is no band in 
the Tuileries whose music is so delicious as that of the 
tongue of choice silver — no fountain in Parnassus so 
sweet as that mouth which is a well of kindness — noth- 
ing so softening and humanizing as the manners of a 
perfect gentleman. Why in this particular do we not 
imitate the French? Politeness, I am aware, may spring 
from selfishness; and so may architecture, and agricul- 
ture, and steam-engines, and telegraphs. Politeness may 
be counterfeited, and so may gold. You may have as 
much hypocrisy and deceit under the coarsest garb, the 



POLITENESS AND DEPRAVITY. 251 

roughest manners, and the rudest speech, as under the 
most refined. Neither Sisera nor Eglon, neither Simeon 
nor Levi, neither Delilah nor Judas, have been accused 
of over-refinement. It is as easy to detect counterfeit 
politeness as counterfeit coin; it is impossible for a per- 
fect gentleman to indulge in flattery, slander, or ridicule — 
for they are as abhorrent to taste as they are to virtue. 
The more perfect a musician is, the more offensive is a 
discord to his ear; and the more cultivated our mind and 
sentiments are, the more odious to us are the forms of 
evil. 

Politeness may exist with the deepest depravity; but 
this does not prove that it is not desirable, only that 
something more is; and the same may be said of wealth, 
genius, learning. The form of politeness, though it may 
exist like the form of religion, without the spirit, has a 
tendency to produce the spirit; its object is to make us 
agreeable, that we may thereby be beloved. And as the 
surest way to seem so is to he so, the very attempt to be a 
gentleman suggests the cultivation of the heart. More- 
over, the very forms of politeness are themselves a disci- 
pline of heart. The soft answer not only turns away 
wrath in another, but subdues it in ourselves. You may 
inquire, if a man have a heart full of love to God, what 
more does he need in order to be polite? He needs cul- 
tivation of mind. With the kindest intentions we may 
give pain instead of pleasure, from want of considera- 
tion or want of knowledge of the situations, circum- 
stances, wants, and feelings of men, or of the conven- 
tional rules of social life. Even when we do what 
should be done, and say what should be said, we may fail, 
with all our good will and good offices, to throw a charm 
around our words and actions. The kindest heart, 
indeed, may be incrusted with rudeness and imperti- 
nence, and clownishness and coarseness — may be like a 



252 LETTERS FROM EUROPE. 

jewel of gold in a swine's snout. Even genius and 
learning may be united to the kindest disposition without 
making an agreeable companion. There may be associ- 
ated with them an over-estimate of self; or an under-esti- 
mate of others; a too great taciturnity; a too great ver- 
bosity; a neglect of attention, or a violation of established 
order; an insensibility to what is pleasing, or an igno- 
rance of what is decorous; and although the absence of 
polish does not deprive genius and virtue of their value, 
it may of their due reward. It is only when they are 
connected with politeness that they are as apples of gold 
in pictures of silver. 

Let no one suppose that politeness enervates the char- 
acter. It is consistent with the noblest manliness — with 
faith, courage, temperance, patience, godliness, and char- 
ity; it requires no sacrifices of duty or of principle. 
Which would be the most likely to shrink from the post 
of danger, the clownish soldier or the polished officer? 
Which would be most likely to lose his principles, the 
rude peasant who utters them in the street, or the prac- 
ticed disputant who reserves them for the rostrum? 
Which most likely to promulgate them with success, the 
man who pronounces them in vulgar language and bitter 
denunciation, or he who sweetens them with the honey 
of persuasion ? Calomel is none the less eflfective be- 
cause disguised in sugar, and all the more likely to be 
taken. I am aware that it gives an advantage to error and 
vice; but why should not truth and virtue avail them- 
selves of that advantage? There is a strange woman 
whose lips drop as a honey-comb, and whose mouth is 
sweeter than oil, but it is not because of the honey and 
the smoothness that her feet go down to death, and her 
steps take hold on hell; and if her charms are used suc- 
cessfully to conceal the wormwood of sin and the sword 
of destruction, may they not be employed to convey the 



A frenchman's ways, 253 

beauty of holiness and the word of life ? Indeed, divine 
Wisdom renders herself attractive — she beautifies her 
house, she hews her seven pillars, she furnishes her 
table, she sends forth her maidens, who, with winning 
sweetness, say, "Come, eat of my bread, and drink of the 
wine that I have mingled." She makes all her paths 
pleasant as well as peaceful, and all her hills spicy. 

Pardon my digression. I wish I could convey to you 
some idea of a French gentleman's winning ways. I 
once remarked, "France is the belle of the nations." A 
Frenchman arose, and walking across the room to me, 
with a countenance glowing with gratitude and delight, 
extended to me his hand, saying as he shook it, "I thank 
you, my dear sir, for making that pleasant remark of 
France." At the house of Mr. Mason — our Embassador 
at the Court of St. Cloud — after our host had summed 
up his objections to Paris, I remarked, "After all that, 
Mr. Mason, I feel very much at home in France." A 
Frenchman seized my hand, in apparent ecstasies, saying, 
"My dear sir, a thousand thanks to you; we are your 
debtor; you shall be still more at home in France." 
When I parted with a gentleman on leaving Paris, he 
looked me in the eye and said, "Don't you forget me till 
I forget you; that will be never." Commend me to the 
French for politeness, I would gladly spend a year in 
their metropolis, as a school for that purpose. 



254 LETTERS FROM EUROPE, 



3tiUx %\ixxtni\. 

TRENCH SOCIETY. 

THEEE is, I think, a special attention paid to Ameri- 
cans in Paris. It arises partly from the benefactions 
of France to the United States in her struggle for inde- 
pendence, partly from her love of liberty and admiration 
of republics, and partly from the profits which the French 
derive from American trade and visitors. The Ameri- 
cans in Paris are very numerous, and very wealthy, or at 
least appear to be so, for they live very expensively; they 
put up at the best hotels, take the best rooms, drive the 
best carriages, wear the richest adorning, and are most 
liberal to their servants. " 0, you Americans," say the 
French, ''are so rich; you have no economy because you 
have no need of it. You write your letters on thick 
paper, put them in envelops, and seal them with sealing 
wax. We can not afford to pay for any surplus weight;" 
letters are all weighed as they pass through the mail. 
"You Americans," said our commissaire, "are the peo- 
ple; you pay well, and you pay cheerfully." "There," 
said a New Englander to me, "is an American buck." 
"How do you know, sir?" "By his extravagance. An 
English lord does not dress like an American stripling " 
Here I must be allowed to say, that while I should be 
glad to spend a year in Paris mi/self, I should be very un- 
willing to send a son there; for, attractive and improving 
as is French society, it is corrupting to such as are not 
well fortified by religious principles, guarded by virtuous 



PARISIAN LOCAL LIFE. 255 

habits, and rendered watcliful by long experience. They 
may see the rivers, the floods, the brooks of honey and 
butter, but their meat may turn in their bowels, and they 
may ''suck the poison of asps." The ''wily friend" 
needs you for his surety; the gambler spreads his snares 
for your feet. They that tarry long at the restaurant are 
in your paths, "to show you the wine when it is red, 
when it giveth its color in the cup, when it moveth itself 
aright." The foolish woman lieth in wait at every 
corner. She comes forth to meet thee, diligently to seek 
thy face; for she has decked her bed with coverings of 
tapestry, and perfumed it with myrrh, aloes, and cinna- 
mon. These temptations are, I know, found every-where, 
but they are peculiarly numerous and strong in France. 
As it is a wine country, it is supposed to be temperate. 
Many Americans, who are abstemious at home, take wine 
in France — indeed, you can not well avoid it; it is set 
before you; it is pressed upon you; it flows as water 
around you; it is unadultered; it is weak. Your scru- 
ples are overcome; you order the red wines — acquire a 
taste for it; order the white wines, and find the appetite 
growing upon you; at length you feel the need of a little 
brandy, and call for "un j)w verre." Captain C, of the 
Baltic, says he has often taken families from America, 
who did not in their outward passage call for a single 
glass of wine, but who, on their return voyage, drank it 
three times a day. It is folly to suppose that the wines 
do not intoxicate, or that the wine-drinkers always con- 
tent themselves with wine-bibbing. If on a summer day 
you walk along the Boulevards or any other fashionable 
promenade, you may see hundreds and thousands of the 
most fashionable gentlemen and ladies seated jander awn- 
ings before the cafes drinking coffee, and beside most of 
the cups you will see a glass of brandy, which they ever 
and anon pour into the coffee as we do milk. 



256 LETTERS FEOM EUROPE. 

The fashions of society are peculiar. The French are, 
to a great extent, a people living abroad. Many families 
board at taverns ; others take rooms for lodgings, and eat 
at the cafes, or, if need be, have their meals served up 
from the neighboring restaurant. The father goes forth 
to his work, and meets his family at breakfast, and again 
at dinner in the public dining saloon; in the evening, 
perhaps, he falls in with them at the Tuileries, the 
Jardin des Plantes, the Boulevards, the Bois d'Boulogne, 
the garden of the Palais Boyal, or some other fashionable 
promenade, and late at night, at the opera, the theater, 
or the circus. The ladies of France ought not to com- 
plain ; they have their rights, if not in the form of dress, 
at least in the amusements of life; they .walk the streets, 
take their rides, dine out as often as their husbands, feel 
as much at home among gentlemen as their husbands do 
among ladies, and may obtain employment in almost 
any department of exertion. What a contrast between 
France and England ! English society is like a land 
which is all surveyed, where each man's premises is sur- 
rounded by a high stone wall, surmounted with a double 
row of iron spikes, filled in with broken glass, and with a 
port-hole for a window. French society is like a land for 
the most part unappropriated. Here is a beautiful com- 
mon, blooming with flowers, where cattle may range at 
large, and ladies and gentlemen take their walks, and 
boys and girls weave their garlands; the adjoining hills 
are separated into possessions marked only by monuments 
at the corners, in sight of which the shepherds carelessly 
watch their flocks, while in the valleys beyond, the differ- 
ent possessions are guarded only by light and tasteful 
fences. The Englishman's house is a sanctuary; to this 
he conveys his gains, for this he reserves his sympathies, 
in this he details his sorrows and his joys. His cottage, 
poor though it may be, is his own — his vine and fig-tree 



A CONTRAST. 257 

are for himself and not for another. Ilis wife is as the 
loving hind and pleasant roe; he rejoices with her, and a 
stranger meddles not with his joy; he drinks water out 
of his own cistern, running waters out of his own well; 
he regards his children as the blessing of the Lord, that 
maketh rich and addeth not sorrow with it. Here he lays 
aside the armor in which he struggles with the world; 
here, in the midst of his children, he thinks as a child, 
he speaks as a child, he plays as a child. He would be 
seen in his domestic circle only by Him before whose 
eyes are the ways of men, and who pondereth their 
goings — except only those few friends who are related to 
him by the ties of affinity, consanguinity, or affection, and 
not too often by th'ese. The Frenchman is at home every- 
where; he has perfect freedom and perfect sweetness in 
any society, and he desires that his wife and children 
should be equally so; his heart is cosmopolitan; his 
thoughts and feelings range at large, and rest where they 
find the strongest attachments; and while he does not 
omit his duty or deny his obligations, he enjoys his lib- 
erty. If men were angels, this were all well; but since 
they are not, we should expect to find, under this free 
play of moral atoms, an occasional exhibition of double 
elective affinity. The prohibited attachments may be 
Platonic often, but Plutonic sometimes. 
22 



258 LETTERS FROM EUROPE, 



FRENCH VIVACITY AND ENTHUSIASM. 

rpHE French are a vivacious people. There is life 
-*- enough in England, but it does not eshibit itself in 
the same manner as in France; it is occasional, not 
habitual; it is concealed rather than apparent; it is 
private rather than public ; it displays itself in the 
gambols of infancy, the sports of youth, the mirth of 
the household hearth, the pranks of the school, and the 
amusements, diversions, and frolics of the party of pleas- 
ure. England has well been termed " merry England." 
Scarce a day in the calender that is not consecrated to 
the amusement of some class of the people ; laughter, 
hilarity, and song roll round the island with every re- 
volving hour. But when the Englishman's sport is over 
he relapses into his accustomed gravity; and he may at 
any time be arrested by serious thought or depressed by 
anxious care. The cheerfulness of France exhibits it- 
self on all faces and at all times ; it rarely becomes 
excessive, and as rarely defective; it is an even, habit- 
ual flow of spirits, going into the walks of business as 
well as those of retirement and pastime, and seeking 
happiness for itself and all around it. It will not be 
interrupted ; it banishes care, eschews serious thought, 
amuses itself with company, romance, and the stage, and 
beguiles misfortunes with music, statuary, painting, and 
flowers. 

While I was in Paris the cholera was prevailing ; pass- 



\ 

FIVE FUNERALS. 259 

ing up street with a French gentleman, we met five 
funeral processions, one after the other, with scarce space 
enough between for a man to pass. The first was the 
funeral of a young lady, as I knew by the long pro- 
cession of Parisian beauties dressed in white ; the last 
that of a member of the National Guard. As 

" The well-plum'd hearses came nodding on, 
Stately and slow, and properly attended 
By the whole sable tribe, that painful watch 
The sick man's door and live upon the dead," 

some serious reflections were suggested, which my French 
companion immediately dismissed: ''0,'^ said he, '^please 
don't talk on that subject. I never allow myself to 
think of disease or death. I should be unfit for business 
if I did." 

"Your war," said I to another, "is likely to be a 
serious one 5 it may last long, involve a great expense, 
and a great loss of life." "We are feeding six hundred 
thousand men and a hundred thousand horses every day. 
If Prussia does not join us we will send an army to 
chastise her; if Austria does not we will do without her. 
With the British on our side we can whip the world. 
As to the expense, we will make the Czar pay it when we 
get through." An Englishman would have put on a 
long face, given you the casus belli, the number of sol- 
diers lost and wounded, the Grovernment loan, the in- 
crease of the income tax, etc. 

"Now," said a Frenchman, as we sat down together in 
his carriage, " I must confess to you I am a Catholic. 
I cross myself, I say my prayers, I go to mass and to 
confession, I teach my children to do so too. I do all 
this because my father did — it does me no harm — it does 
me good; when I am well it makes me better, when I 
am afflicted it makes me less afflicted. You are a Prot- 
estant; you say I am wrong — the bread is not flesh and 



260 LETTERS FROM EUROPE. 

the wine is not blood, but God can do all things. Will 
he make such a transformation? What says the word? 
I do not know; the priest does; and he says the Bible 
teaches this doctrine. It is not my business to examine, 
it is his; I pay him for it; it is enough for me to take 
care of my family and support the Church and the state. 
God knows I have no time to spend in theological con- 
troversy. NoW; my dear friend, do not argue with me ; 
I can not argue with you; I refer you to the priest." 

Traveling one night by railroad on the banks of the 
Soane, we found ourselves in company with some inter- 
esting French ladies. In the course of the conversation 
they expressed their high admiration of the republic of 
the United States. " Republic is good," said they re- 
peatedly and emphatically. We asked them how they 
liked the empire. " 0, it is good, too, very good." 
"But which is better, republicanism or despotism?" 
'' Both alike good," said they. 

The French are enthusiastic. Possessed of less wit 
than the Irish, less genius than the English, less stu- 
diousness than the Germans, they have more imagination 
than all of them. You may see this in their military 
operations, in which they are in strong contrast with 
their neighbors across the channel. English soldiers are 
characterized by cool intrepidity, French by irresisti- 
ble impetuosity. So in their attachments — the English 
are distinguished by persistence, the French by ardor. 
While I was seated one morning in the office of the 
American Embassador, Mr. Mason came in, and after the 
usual salutation, said, "Did you ever get into a profuse 
perspiration, and have a wet blanket thrown over you?" 
"No." "I did yesterday. A lady came to me with the 
following narrative: 'I am from the United States, and 
have in care a young lady who has been visiting her 
friends in this country. She is a Protestant, and her 



A PERSISTENT LOVER. 261 

father and motlier when dj'ing charged her never to 
forsake her faith or marry a Catholic. She has, more- 
over, a Protestant friend in the United States to whom 
she is attached, and to whom on her return to New York 
she expects to be married. While in the south of 
France she met with a French gentleman who was 
smitten with her; he procured an introduction to her, 
and has been courting her with unremitting attention 
ever since. She has used every measure to shake him 
off; she has frowned upon him, she has told him she can 
never marry him, that it is utterly impossible; that his 
attentions are unpleasant, wearisome, disgusting, even 
painful to her, and she has peremptorily ordered him 
never to see her. He replies, '■'■ That is impossible till 
I die. I can not live without seeing you." We came 
to this city in hopes to escape him, but he watched our 
movements and came with us; we sought to hide from 
him here, but he has found us out. We have told him 
that we shall soon leave the country, and that he had 
better return home. ''No, no!" says he, "I will go 
with you when you go, I will stop when you stop, I will 
stay where you put up, I will live where you live, I will 
die where you die." Now, can nothing be done to save 
us from this annoyance?'" Mr. Mason said he immedi- 
ately sent for the prefect of police, and gave him the facts 
in presence of the old lady. ''Your troubles are at an 
end," said the police officer; "the young man will see 
your ward no more. Give me his name and address ; we 
will command him, and if he obey not, we have a way 
of making him obey." Mr. Mason returned with the 
old lady to her lodgings, and announced to the young 
one the joyful news of her deliverance from the annoy- 
ance to which she had been subjected, when, lo ! with a 
gush of grief, she cried, " 0, you have been so cruel as 
to apply to the police ! You will wound the young man's 



262 LETTERS FROM EUROPE. 

feelings. 0, he is such a noble young man ! I would 
suffer any thing rather than wound his heart." "I 
started homeward," said Mr. Mason, ''immediately, say- 
ing within myself, we have been doing mischief, they will 
be married as sure as the world. No resisting French 
enthusiasm." 

As we were approaching Geneva a French peer, who 
was with us, put his head out of the window and an- 
nounced that Mont Blanc was in view. As we looked 
at the sublime spectacle, in sight of which we rode for 
honrs, on a calm summer's evening, he cried out, "Na- 
poleon ! Napoleon !" As first we did not understand his 
exclamation; but, pointing to the king of the Alps, 
towering toward heaven, he talked to us till, like him, 
we saw the image of the hero reflected from the mount- 
ain. "There," said he, "is his chapeau; there his 
profile; there his shoulders; there his bust; there his 
epaulets. Don't you see him? It is Napoleon! Na- 
poleon!" What a conception! that God, before the 
mountains were brought forth, had his eye upon this 
great conqueror, and when he upheaved the Alps he cut 
that conqueror's profile on the loftiest summit, overlook- 
ing, in its mantle of eternal snow, the continent he was 
destined to illumine by his bivouac fires ! 

The love of Napoleon is, with the French, an intense 
and all-pervading passion ; in almost every house you 
enter you find his statue or statuette, or his likeness en- 
graved or painted, or some memento of him. Here and 
there I found a MS. in pencil-marks — in which, I believe, 
he usually wrote — and found it carefully kept, elegantly 
bound, and valued above all other possessions of the 
family. Every-where the streets of Paris resounded 
with the cries of boys and men selling descriptions of 
Napoleon's tomb. That tomb speaks volumes. I have 
seen nothing more gorgeous; every thing that marble 



REVERENCE FOR NAPOLEON. 263 

and gold, sunlight and shade, form and color can do to 
dazzle and to awe, seems to have been achieved here. 
The entrance is flanked by sarcophagi resting upon 
plinths, surmounted by columns crowned with segemental 
pediments, and dedicated respectively to the faithful 
marshals Duroc and Bertrand. Passing through a bronze 
door you behold two bronze caryatides, of colossal pro- 
portions, holding the globe, scepter, and imperial crown. 
Bas-reliefs, commemorative of the hero, adorn the gallery 
that, running under the high altar, and lighted by fu- 
neral lamps, leads to the crypt, whose pavement is 
ornamented with a crown of laurels in Mosaic; sculp- 
tured laurel wreaths encircling the names of the victo- 
ries of Rivoli, Pyramids, Marengo, Austerlitz, Jena, 
Friedland, Wagram and Moskowa, decorate the balus- 
trade around the tomb, while twelve colossal statues, each 
commemorative of a victory, stand against the pilasters 
that face it. The tomb itself consists of an immense 
monolyth of porphyry, weighing one hundred and thirty- 
five thousand pounds, brought from Lake Onega, covering 
a sarcophagus, also of a single block, standing upon two 
plinths that repose on a block of green granite, brought 
from the Vosges Mountains — the whole exquisitely pol- 
ished. As the French come in crowds to behold it and 
read the memorable words borrowed from Napoleon's 
will, and cut in the marble, " Je desire que mes cendres 
reposent sur les bords de la Seine, au milieu de ce peuple 
Francais que jai tant aime," you are almost persuaded 
that their enthusiasm amounts to adulation. 

Passing from the Church we entered the Hotel des 
Invalides, where I was introduced to a celebrated per- 
sonage who still further illustrates the national enthusi- 
asm. It was Madame Bouillon. She was dressed in the 
uniform of a lieutenant — the rank which she holds — and 
was surrounded by a number of aged and infirm soldiers, 



264 LETTERS FROM EUROPE. 

whom she was interesting with accounts of her earlier 
days, as she sat knitting a pair of stockings. She re- 
ceived me graciously, and her countenance brightened as 
I expressed the gratification I felt at seeing her. Her 
history is this : Her father belonged to a French regi- 
ment, in which she was born, and raised, and married. 
In the wars of Napoleon her father, two brothers, and 
her husband were all killed in battle. When the last 
perished she put on his clothes, shouldered his rifle, took 
his place in the ranks, and fought with bravery and en- 
thusiasm till the war ceased. When peace was restored, 
Crovernment, inquiring into her history, and finding her 
character unimpeachable, gave her employment in an- 
other sphere. When age rendered her somewhat help- 
less, she was assigned officers' quarters in the Hotel des 
Invalides, where she is to spend the remainder of her 
life in honorable retirement. She said, "I have not 
used the knitting-needle for forty years before; but it 
seems good to me, in my old age, to return to my old 
habits." "When you were in the ranks," said we, 
"were you not afraid of being insulted?" "No, indeed," 
she replied, " if any one had offered me an insult there 
would have been no chance for me to challenge him; 
not a soldier in the regiment but would have anticipated 
me." This, by the way, was the only instance of Bloom- 
erism that I met with in Europe, and it is one not likely 
to be imitated. 

Walking the city in company with an aged gentleman 
who was long a member of the National Guard, and is 
still an honorary member, he stopped no less than three 
times, in a short walk, and said, with apparent careless- 
ness and a light heart, "There I have shot at men to 
kill them, and there they have shot at me to kill me." 
I intimated to him that such an occupation must be 
uncongenial to his character. "Yes," said he, "but I 



AN INSCRIPTION. 265 

could not help it. An officer of the Government, calling 
upon me, said, ' Sir, you are a good citizen ; the Govern- 
ment confiding in you, has enrolled you in the National 
Guard.' I had no option; and making a virtue of ne- 
cessity, I accepted it as an honor." One of the pillars 
in the Jardin des Plantes has this inscription, "Horas 
non numero nisi Serenas." 



23 



266 LETTERS FROM EUROPE, 



FRENCH TASTE AND FICKLENESS. 

THE French are a people of exquisite taste. If the 
language of the people bears the stamp of its mind, 
we need no other proof of French taste than French 
language, which is the chosen vehicle for diplomatists 
and courtiers, and the medium of a literature formed on 
classical models, and characterized by beauty, precision, 
transparency, and smoothness — standing in strong con- 
trast to the abrupt energy of the English and the unin- 
telligible transcendentalism of the Germans, whose later 
works are like the river Zambeze — the upward navigation 
very difficult. 

Beauty seems to charm all classes, and display itself in 
their dress, their habitations, their gardens, and their 
paths. In summer season, the ladies, as they enter the 
railroad cars, and the sweet children, as they follow their 
pretty mothers, are loaded with nosegays and wreaths, so 
that you ride even over their paths of iron in the midst 
of beauty and fragrance. English mansions and castles 
may display more sumptuousness than French chateaus, 
but far less elegance; and English country houses may 
have equal neatness, but certainly not equal beauty with 
those of corresponding rank in France. The land is a 
land of flowers; England cultivates flowers as well as 
France, but I think her soil and climate are not equally 
favorable to them, for I really believe that the aster of 
France is as large and lustrous as the dahlia of this 



THE PUBLIC PROMENADES. 267 

country. Their public promenades, whicli are visited 
almost daily by tbe wealthy, and weekly and semi-weekly 
by the poorer classes, are well calculated to excite and 
cultivate the national love of beauty. Here, ornamental 
balustrades, terminating in basements from which rise 
colossal statuary, inclose the areas; rostral columns, 
bearing lamps, line the balustrades, and decorated lamp- 
posts border the carriage ways ; while groups of statues 
on lofty pedestals, adorned with historic emblems, meet 
the eye in every direction. Circular basins, supported 
by cylindrical shafts and embellished with foliage, stand 
aloft on hexagonal bases ; figures seated around them, 
with their feet on the prows of vessels, are separated by 
spouting dolphins; larger dolphins, held by tritons and 
nereids, sport in the ampler basins below, and upright 
figures of winged children, standing on inverted shells, 
look down upon swans spouting water at their feet. Here 
are parallel avenues of lime and chestnut trees; there, 
beds of roses and carnations; here are mounds com- 
manding extensive views and crowned with cedars; 
there, labyrinths with intricate and enticing paths, lead- 
ing to pavilions which afford shelter and seats where the 
weary traveler can look over the thronged city and the 
distant landscape; while ever and anon there rises be- 
fore you some august monument of the past, such as the 
obelisk of Luxor or the column of July, or some memo- 
rial of a distant land, as a palm from Sicily, a plant from 
the Cape of Good Hope, a buckeye from the banks of 
the Ohio, or a cedar from the summit of Lebanon. 
Evening and morning, as you walk the delicious shades, 
enrapturing music breaks upon your ear. Often in the 
garden of the Tuileries, enjoying the fragrance of its 
gay parterres, or the shade of its majestic elms, or prom- 
enading in its alley of oranges, or gazing from its ter- 
races upon the Seine, or reposing in its embowered seats, 



268 LETTERS FROM EUROPE. 

I have been overcome. The colossal statuary, the goodly 
palace rich in animating associations; the enlivening 
strains of military hands, the delicious fragrance, the 
children swarming like bees around the flower beds, and 
the old men rejoicing on their crutches, were too much 
for me. But even the captivating gardens and walks 
of Paris are less beautiful than the places of resort in 
the vicinity to which the whole population are wont to 
throng on Sunday or gala day, such as St. Cloud, Ver- 
sailles, and Fontainbleau, where, in parks and palaces, in 
gardens and courts, in cascades and streams, in pavilions 
and terraces, art and nature seem to vie with each 
other in a doubtful contest; while within the buildings 
are grand vestibules adorned with statuary, marble 
staircases decorated with pilasters, and ceilings arched 
with gold and pierced with skylights; chambers whose 
walls are sculptured with trophies, whose chimney-pieces 
are portraits, whose ceilings, divided into compartments 
by mythological paintings, are hung with chandeliers 
ornamented with flowers; spacious saloons of statues and 
saloons of cabinets, saloons of Venus afid saloons of 
Mars, saloons of Mercury and saloons of Aurora, saloons 
for feasting and saloons for sport; long galleries of paint- 
ings and galleries of antiquities, libraries with double 
tiers of loaded alcoves, chambers hung with tapestry, 
containing copies of the richest paintings, and theaters 
and churches which my pen dare not attempt to describe. 
You must see for yourself the ample arches, the sculp- 
tured spandrels, the imposing painting of sacred story, 
the marble pavement wrought in mosaic, the balustrades 
of gilded bronze, the lofty columns, the architrave and 
cornice ripe from the richest chisels, the vaulted ceiling 
glowing from the noblest pencils, in the chapel of Ver- 
sailles. But the ordinary churches of Paris are suffi- 
ciently beautiful. How strong is the contrast between 



THE MADELEINE. 2Q9 

St. Paul's and the Madeleine ! The one is sublime, the 
other beautiful ; the one is like the moon seen from the 
mountains in a serene winter evening, the other like a 
ruddy May morning rising on the plains. Walking 
under the colonnade of the Madeleine, gazing upon the 
statues in the niches of its walls, the sculpture of the 
frieze, cornice, and ceiling, the immense alto-relievo of 
the pediment or the bas-relief of the ample bronze doors, 
we can scarce persuade ourselves that we are not in 
Greece. True, if we examine the subjects, we shall find 
them Scriptural ; the statues are saints or angels, the 
alto-relievo represents Christ and Mary, spirits lost and 
spirits blessed, while the doors exhibit Moses and the 
law, the Sabbath repose of God, etc. ; but the whole 
appearance is what we might expect of Athens in her 
palmy days. Passing into the interior you have the 
same impression — the Corinthian decorations of the or- 
gan, the figures carved on the soffit of the arch, the 
marble group in the Marriage Chapel, the Christ at the 
waters of Jordan carved on the baptismal font, the pulpit 
and the twelve confessionals along the chapels with their 
rich carvings, the lofty columns supporting the colossal 
arches on which rest the cupolas with their skylights, 
the marble walls, the chapels containing each the statue 
of its patron saint, the paintings in the tympans of the 
lateral arches, the compartments of the ceiling, and the 
intercolumniations of the choir, the sculpture of the 
high altar, and the enrapturing music, like to the hymns 
of angels, on which it would seem that the soul could 
fioat to paradise, were all calculated to carry us back to 
the famed home of the muses and the age of Phidias 
and Praxiteles. 

A glance at the Louvre alone would show the vast 
superiority of France in the fine arts. It is a collection 
of museums of statuary and painting. England has her 



270 LETTERS PROM EUROPE. 

Yernon, Dulwich, and Flaxman galleries; her Royal 
Academy, Britisli Institution, and Society of Arts — but 
they will not bear comparison witb the Louvre. One 
fact speaks volumes : neither in the Vernon Gallery, the 
British Institution, nor the National Gallery did I find 
a single artist at work, while in the Louvre I must have 
seen not less than fifty, all so earnestly engaged imitating 
the old masters that they seemed not to observe the 
passing crowd. 

The French are a fickle people. This is apparent from 
their religious history. When Clovis turned from Pagan- 
ism to Christianity he baptized in blood. The Franks — 
at first devoted Catholics — showed symptoms of revolt 
as early as A. T>. 996, when Robert, son of Hugh Capet, 
was divorced and excommunicated, and obliged to see 
the mass suspended, the sacraments denied to the sick, 
and the dead unburied, because his kingdom was placed 
under an interdict — cruelties from which sprang a feel- 
ing in the south of France that has never been extin- 
guished. In 1137 Louis VII quarreled with the Pope 
about the nomination of archbishops. In 1180 his son, 
Philip II, established the Inquisition, and prosecuted a 
barbarous crusade against the Protestants of Languedoc 
and Gascony. In 1283 Philip the Fair refused to obey 
the summons of the Pope to march against the Saracens, 
denominated him a heretic impostor and Simoniac, be- 
cause he asserted his authority over the kings and king- 
doms of the earth, and having contrived to secure his 
person, subjected him to the most humiliating indig- 
nities. We recollect the Pragmatic Sanctions under 
Charles VII; the conspiracy against the king and the 
Guises; the conference of Poissey, granting toleration; 
the violation of its decree; the civil war; the massacre 
of St. Bartholomew; the subsequent granting of liberty 
of conscience; the edict of Nantes, and its revocation, 



ROYAL CHANGES. 271 

whieli razed the temples, exiled the ministers, and sup- 
pressed the worship of Protestants, and required a re- 
nunciation of their religion on pain of death. Next 
comes, with the revolution, the overthrow of all relig- 
ion — a blow from which the French Catholic Church has 
never recovered. la 1789 she had 400,000 clergy, and 
drew annually from the treasury one hundred and eigh- 
teen millions of francs; now she has but 40,000 clergy, 
sustained by an allowance of only thirty-four million 
francs. 

The same thing is seen in the political history of 
France. The English crown has descended in an un- 
broken line from Egbert to Victoria. The French have 
had four separate dynasties in the same period : the Mer- 
ovingian, Carlovingian_, Capetian, and Bourbon. Since 
the organization of the present government of the 
United States, the French have passed successively 
under fifteen different forms of government: in 1788 
Louis XVI was on the throne ; in 1789 we find the 
States-General, which gave place in the same year to 
the Constituent Assembly; in 1792 the National Con- 
vention; in 1793 the Reign of Terror; in 1795 the 
Directory; in 1799 the Consulate; in 1804 the Empire; 
in 1814 the monarchy restored; in 1830 the reigning 
family overthrown and the crown transferred to a younger 
branch; in 1848 the Provisional Government and the 
Republic; in 1851 the modified Republic; in 1852 the 
Empire restored. 

Go into the Gallery of Versailles, and perhaps you see 
a historical painting breathing the fiercest liberty — 
States-General, may be, with six hundred uplifted right 
hands and infuriated countenances, swearing for uni- 
versal freedom, so that you can scarce gaze upon the 
canvas a moment without leaping from the ground with 
a shout ! Move on, and lo ! the next panel in order is 



272 LETTERS FROM EUROPE. 

an emperor in robes, witli a prostrate multitude at his 
feet. At the place of the Bastille you see the column 
of July, whose capital is surmounted with a gilt globe, 
on which stands a colossal figure of Liberty; in its right 
hand is a torch, in its left a broken chain ; it stands on 
one foot, with expanded wings. On the western side of 
the pedestal, beneath a lion passant, we read the follow- 
ing inscription : 

A la glorie des citoyens Francais, que s'armerent et comhatirent 
pour la defense des liberties publiques dans les memorables jour- 
nees des 27, 28, 29 Juillet, 1830. 

To the glory of the citizens of France, who armed and fought in 
defense of the public liberty on the memorable days of the 27th, 
28th, and 29th of July, 1830. 

You fancy, as you look, that you are among a free peo- 
ple, but it is a momentary delusion j long since the chain 
was welded, the torch extinguished, the genius put to 
flight, and the inscription made a mockery. 

Standing in the Place de la Concorde, you are reminded 
that in 1763 it was called Place Louis XV j in 1792 it 
was called Place .de la Revolution ; in 1800 Place de la 
Concorde; in 1814 Place Louis XV restored. In 1763 it 
was appropriated for a statue in honor of Louis XV ; in 
1792, by order of the National Assembly, the statue was 
melted down into Republican cannon, while a plaster 
figure of Liberty took its place, in front of which the 
guillotine was planted; in 1800 both figure and pedestal 
were removed, and a model of another column erected; 
in 1816 an order was issued for erecting the statue of 
Louis XV. After the accession of Charles X it was 
ordered that a statue should be erected to Louis XVI, 
but the revolution prevented the execution of the order. 



FRENCH GOVERNMENT. 278 



inter fljirts-^feith 

FRENCH GOVERNMENT — THE EMPEROR. 

WHAT is now the government of France, after all her 
struggles for liberty? Louis Napoleon Bonaparte is 
invested with the imperial dignity under the title of Na- 
poleon III, and clothed with all the immunities and pre- 
rogatives of royalty. His salary is twenty million franca, 
and he is put in possession of all the libraries, museums, 
palaces, and jewels of the state. He is independent of 
every other branch of the government; he controls the 
Minister of Justice, to whom all judges and law oflBcers 
are subordinate. So much for the judiciary. The Coun- 
cil of State, appointed by the Emperor, prepares the leg- 
islative bills, and regulates the public administration 
under his direction. The Senate, consisting of the admi- 
rals, marshals, cardinals, and princes of France, with such 
other persons as the Emperor may appoint, has no power 
to amend any bill that is proposed to it, but must vote ay 
or no upon it; it can not even consider an amendment to 
a Senatus Consultum unless seconded by five members, 
and must receive its president and vice-president from 
the Emperor, who is at liberty at any time to displace the 
presiding officer and occupy his chair. 

The Legislative Body, which consists of two hundred 
and sixty-one members, elected by universal sufi"rage, 
votes the taxes and bills presented to it. It can neither 
originate nor amend a bill without consent of the Council 
of State; it can not report its proceedings; it can not 



274 LETTERS FROM EUROPE. 

receive, mucli less consider, a petition from the people; it 
is limited to three months' session, is under a president 
and vice-president appointed by the Emperor, and is con- 
voked, adjourned, and dissolved at his pleasure. So 
much for the Legislature. 

We may say of the French empire what one said of the 
Russian — it is a monarchy, limited by assassination. 
Under this government there is no freedom of speech. 
What a contrast between this and the English ! In Eng- 
land a man may say what he pleases of the royal family, 
or the cabinet, or the aristocracy. How coarsely and 
boldly did Sir Charles Napier assail the Lords of the Ad- 
miralty ! " Will the Emperor," said I, to an advocate of 
his administration, "allow me to say what I please of 
him?" "0, yes, provided you don't say any thing 
against him." There is no freedom of the press. Mr. 
Mason said that one evening, in conversation with the 
Minister of the Interior, the latter remarked that the 
press was free in France. Some surprise having been 
expressed, he continued: "There is my friend, [pointing 
to an editor,] he may publish any thing in the world, if 
it meets my approbation." There is no freedom of loor- 
ship. A clergyman in Paris, in whose pulpit I preached, 
informed me that he generally has a government spy in 
his congregation, and thus enabled me to account for the 
tameness of Protestant preaching in France. The Min.- 
ister of Public Instruction and Public Worship has 
openly declared that he sees no objection to enforcing re- 
ligion by the sword except the folly of it. 

In March, 1852, a prohibitory decree was issued against 
the Non-Conformists, since which a system of persecu- 
tion has been pursued against them by the police. Many 
of their chapels have been closed, their ministers seized, 
prosecuted, fined, and imprisoned; thoir schoolmasters 
insulted, hindered, thrown into jail, and their Church 



TOLERANCE OF PROTESTANTISM. 275 

members abused and put under ban. Even some of the 
consistories of the Established Protestant Churches have 
their temples closed. Memorial after memorial went up 
to his Majesty, setting forth their grievances, and British 
and American influence was brought to bear upon him, 
but not till the middle of November last was any answer 
vouchsafed, and what is that answer : 

1. All subjects have liberty of conscience. 

2. They have no right to worship as they please. 

3. What may be denied as a right, may be granted as 
a favor. 

4. Chapels of Dissenters may be opened whenever it 
can be shown that they have no political objects. 

Thus matters are left, as under the prohibitory decree. 
The British and Americans are told that the objects are 
political, and the Catholics that the Emperor's liberality 
is practically null; for what is easier than to satisfy a big- 
oted prefect, that the object of an obnoxious preacher is 
political ? It is said that there has been some relaxation 
of the persecution lately, but it is confined to Protestant 
districts, where Catholics have nothing to lose. 

There is no freedom of labor. Noticing a number of 
painters at work in various streets, giving the houses a 
uniform color, I could but remark that there was a won- 
derful agreement of taste among the citizens. ''0," re- 
plied a Frenchman, "this is done by order of the Em- 
peror, not because it pleases his sight, but because it 
furnishes employment to the common people. He noti- 
fies the owner of the property that it must be painted of 
such a color by such a time; if it is not done, the prefect 
of police sends workmen to do it, and charges the bill to 
the owner of the property. It is a kind of socialism, but 
a good socialism — it feeds the poor and improves the 
city. But it is hard upon us business men, for the owner 
charges the tenant additional rent;" "And then," added 



276 LETTERS FROM EUROPE. 

I, " tte merctant charges tis customer additional price." 
"0, heaven knows/' he replied, "our customers won't let 
us do that." Alas ! what false economy, to diminish the 
motive for accumulation by an unnecessary interference 
with property, and to lessen permanently the wages of 
labor by impairing the capital of the country for the sake 
of relieving a temporary embarrassment ! 

Such is the present government of France. A word 
about its head. He is a man of loose principles, strong 
will, and vaulting ambition. Till his coup d'etat he was 
generally regarded as a fool; nor need we wonder at this 
when we think of his attacks upon Strasbourg and Bou- 
logne, without considering his motives or the character 
of the French people. Subsequent events have shown 
that he is any thing but a simpleton. He has a strong 
and gifted cabinet, of which Drouyn De L'Huys is the 
master spirit. Mr. Mason remarked once in my hearing, 
that he had great confidence in the wisdom and ability of 
Napoleon's administration, if only they confine them- 
selves to the affairs of France. A Frenchman said to 
me, "When you get home please tell your countrymen 
what Mr. Mason says of our government." 

When I went to France I had the utmost contempt for 
Napoleon III. I thought he had done that in political 
life, which, if done in private, would have doomed him 
to everlasting infamy. When the Provisional Govern- 
ment proposed to continue his exile, he wrote, remon- 
strating: "The same reasons that have led me to take up 
arms against Louis Philippe, would lead me, if my serv- 
ices were required, to devote myself to the defense of 
the Assembly, the result of universal suffrage." 

In 1848, a representative elect, he assures his electors 
that he should " labor to establish democratic institu- 
tions," and invokes them to rally around the altars of 
the country and the flag of the republic. When, a few 



LOUIS NAPOLEON AS PRESIDENT. 277 

days after, lie finds it necessary to resign his place in the 
Assembly, he uses these words: "I desire order and the 
maintenance of a wise, great, and enlightened republic." 
After another election he declares that he is devoted "to 
develop the democratical institutions which the people 
have a right to claim — to the defense of order and the 
consolidation of the republic." When, October 11, 1848, 
it was proposed to render members of families who had 
reigned over France ineligible to the Presidency, Louis 
Napoleon said, "that he was too grateful to the nation 
for restoring to him his rights as a citizen to have any 
other ambition;" whereupon the amendment was with- 
drawn. On being nominated for the Presidency he says : 
"I pledge my honor to leave my successor, at the end of 
four years, the executive powers strengthened, liberty in- 
tact, and a real progress accomplished : to protect the 
freedom of worship and education, to protect property, to 
adopt measures of economy, to reduce taxes, to protect 
the liberty of the press, to restrict the number of em- 
ployes of the government, to put a stop to all proscrip- 
tions — such are the ideas which I should bring to bear 
upon the functions of the government." 

The outbreaks and conflicts of June having alarmed 
the country, directed attention from Lamartine and Cav- 
ignac, and, together with the illusion of a name, elected 
Bonaparte President. On the 20th of December he took 
the oath : 

In presence of God, and before the French people represented 
by the National Assembly, I swear to remain faithful to the demo- 
cratic Republic one and indivisible, and to fulfill all the duties 
which it imposes on me. 

Not content with this oath, he volunteers to say that 
the suffrages of the nation and his personal sentiments 
imposed upon him duties which he would fulfill as a man 
of honor. He would treat as enemies of the country 



278 LETTERS FROM EUROPE.. 

wTioever should attempt to subvert tlie Constitution. I 
will not trace liis history. You know his re-establish- 
ment of the fallen ecclesiastical despotism at Rome; his 
dismissal of ministry after ministry; his shackling of the 
press; his suppression of associations; his limitation of 
suifrage; his gratification of military enthusiasm; his 
banqueting of the soldiery at the national expense ; his 
unconstitutional assumption of military functions; his 
festival processions; the doubling, tripling, and quadru- 
pling of his constitutional allowance; his proposal to re- 
vise the Constitution, with a view to prolong his power; 
and the grand martial demonstration of the 9th of No- 
vember, 1851. 

On the 2d of December Paris was occupied by troops; 
infantry extended along the quays, cavalry occupied the 
Place de la Concorde, batteries of field artillery were sta- 
tioned at all the bridges, and soldiery held the faubourgs. 
A Presidential decree was posted, announcing the disso- 
lution of the Government, and convoking the people in 
their elective colleges to vote for a President, and also 
upon a draft of a new Constitution, the principal features 
of which were : A decennial Executive ; a Council of 
State; a Legislative Assembly; and a second Assembly. 
Meanwhile, the most eminent members of the Legisla- 
ture, among whom were the Constitutional Generals, were 
imprisoned; the hall of the Assembly was surrounded by 
armed men, and the members approaching were beaten 
back; the offices of public journals were occupied by 
soldiers; and Government organs alone were allowed to 
appear. Next day the Ministers, who, having character, 
might, by combination, resist the President, were dis- 
missed, and new ones, dependent on his fortunes, were 
appointed. On this day a feeble resistance was made; 
but on the day following, a desperate and bloody one, in 
which one thousand citizens fell. The result of the vote 



WHO ARE TO BLAME. 279 

for Napoleon as President of the republic is the most ex- 
traordinary that history records: 7,439,210 affirmative; 
640,737 negative. Much was, doubtless, due to Govern- 
mental management, such as that of the Colonel, who 
said to his soldiers, ^' Every man may vote as he pleases; 
but he who don't vote for Napoleon shall be shot." 

On the 12th of December 2,500 political prisoners were 
sent to Algiers; and sixty-six representatives, besides 
many other persons, were banished from the French ter- 
ritories. In less than a year from that time the Senatus 
Consultum, which restored the empire, was published. 

After all, the people are more to blame than the Empe- 
ror. I said to an intelligent Frenchman, "Are you in 
favor of the Government?" "Certainly." "What ob- 
jection had you to the republic?" "It was not strong 
enough. It filled our streets with vagabonds, and our 
hearts with terror. Workmen would comparatively do 
nothing, saying, 'This is a free country.' " "Turn them 
off and get others." "I was afraid — afraid for my prop- 
erty, my limbs, my life." 

I asked the venerable President of the French confer- 
ence what he thought of the republic. "When I arose 
in the morning and found that the republic was no more, 
and that an empire, substantially, was in its stead, I 
kneeled down and devoutly thanked almighty God. The 
republic! it protected neither property nor person. 
Better have less liberty, and higher taxes, with quiet 
sleep, than to lie down with fear and rise up with alarm." 

Of what I learned of French politics this is the sum. 
Sober-minded Frenchmen thought the overthrow of the 
Orleans dynasty a misfortune; the Provisional Govern- 
ment proved inadequate. Napoleon was conservative — ■ 
ambitious; he was made President with the expectation 
that he would usurp all necessary power. Still the repub- 
lic was too weak; Napoleon's term was drawing to a 



280 LETTERS FROM EUROPE. 

close; the Assembly would not alter the Constitution to 
make tim eligible to another; the Socialists and Red Re- 
publicans were about to obtain the government. What 
could be done? The Legitimists desired to recall the 
Bourbon; the Orleanists, the Count de Paris; but 
neither was strong enough. The Bonapartists desired to 
restore the empire. Their chief was in the country, in 
the city, in power. His name alone was a tower of 
strength. The army, the nation, wished him to do as he 
did. 

And why can not the French have a republic — their 
Constitution was on the model of ours; their intelligence 
as great and nearly as widely diffused? They have no 
Sabbath. The first day is one of feasting and frolic; they 
are wanting in religion. The influence of 1789 is still 
felt. The twelve apostles of Atheism have their suc- 
cessors. The gospels of Jean Jaques and Voltaire, the 
chronicles of Gibbon and Hume, and the psalms of 
Lord Byron are still preached, together with the apoca- 
lypse of spiritualism, and the pentateuch of the "Foot- 
prints." Those not connected with the Churches are 
generally infidel, and they embrace a large proportion of 
the men. A man is ashamed to confess himself a Chris- 
tian. Rev. Dr. C. said that a soldier whom he had often 
seen in his congregation, "came to him by night," pro- 
fessed faith, and asked the sacrament privately. "I can 
face the cannon," said he, "but I have not courage to 
confess Christ 'publicly in France." He observed that 
there were hundreds like himself, and proposed the or- 
ganization of a secret Church, which should take the or- 
dinances under lock, and in the dark. 

The revolution of 1789 failed for want of the religious 
element. They attempted to breathe it into the revolu- 
tion of 1848; but it was a sham faith — faith in God's 
attributes rather than in God; faith in the humanity 



VIRTUE IN A REPUBLIC. 281 

rather than in the divinity of the Scriptures; faith in a 
divine law without a Divine sanction; love for everybody 
in general, and nobody in particular; friendship for the 
Church, with hostility for every thing on which it re- 
poses. 

Without religion what basis have you for virtue ? and 
without virtue what do you with a republic? How easy 
to vote that all debtors shall be absolved from their obli- 
gations ! How easy to decree that the rich shall divide 
his property with the poor! Finally, that the majority 
may prey upon the minority! Are law and Constitution 
in the way? what is easier than to put them out of the 
way? Look at the Licinian Rogations; at the decrees 
of Sylla; at the confiscations and murders of the "Na- 
tional Convention;" at the repudiation of state debts in 
the new world. Not as a divine, but as a politician, I say 
that there is no hope for this confederation of republics 
but in the religious principle of the people. 

Pitiable France, divided chiefly into two extremes ! the 
first, venerating God and Christ, receives, with the most 
precious truths, the most flagrant errors; the second, 
abominating the errors of a corrupt priesthood, rejects 
with them the most precious truth. There is a medium, 
however, and in that is found her hope. Let us take a 
glance at this "third estate," that we may see the 
strength of that hope. The Protestants are variously 
estimated at from two and a half to five millions. A 
Protestant Church is established by law, and governed by 
the state. It consists of two branches — Lutherans, who 
are found principally in the northern and Rhenish prov- 
inces, having their directory and chief theological semi- 
nary at Strasbourg, and Calvinists, who occupy the south- 
ern departments, and have their chief institution at 
Montauban. Both have lost much of their efficiency 
from the progress of Rationalism. The great hope of 

24 



282 LETTERS FROM EUROPE. 

France is in the Non-Conformists, of whom we find the 
following : 

1. Independents, united under the style of "Union of 
the Churches." 

2. Methodists, having a conference of twenty-four 
preachers, on circuits both in the north and south. 

3. Baptists, confined to the north, where they have a 
theological seminary for native preachers. 

4. Moravians, also in the northern districts. 

5. Quakers, who have a small society in the south. 

6. The Plymouth Brethren — a low, radical sect. 

7. The English Church, which has three places of 
worship — one at the Embassador's. 

The evangelical enterprises are numerous, as 

1. The Evangelical Society of France, which has sev- 
enty-nine agents, and whose object is to evangelize the 
Roman Catholic population. 

2. The Evangelical Society of Geneva, having the 
same object. 

3. The Union of the Churches, mostly Calvinist, but 
having a Confession of Faith modified in an Arminian 
sense. 

4. The Bible societies — Protestant, French, and For- 
eign — and Agency of the British and Foreign, who, 
together, put in circulation 125,000 Bibles and Testa- 
ments during the past year. 

5. The Tract Society, which distributed, during the 
past year, 1,250,000 tracts. 

6. Various eleemosynary societies for orphans, widows, 
sick, and aged. 

To all this we must add Sabbath schools, the circula- 
tion of books and periodicals by such establishments as 
the Methodist Book Concern, at Paris, and by colpor- 
teurs, the opening of day and boarding-schools, and the 
concentration of influence by the Evangelical Alliance. 



FRANCE AND THE FUTURE. 283 

There is hope for France. Many who hold Catholic 
doctrines repudiate Papal authority. Many are coming 
over to Protestantism ; and as for the irreligious part of 
the nation, bad as it is, it is not worse than was a large 
portion of English society between the fall of Cromwell 
and the rise of Wesley. 

Who can think of France without deep interest! the 
polite, refined, light-hearted, beauty-loving, enthusiastic 
nation, situated in the center of Europe, with a fruitful 
soil, a genial climate, having a people unsurpassed in arts 
and arms, and beholding a glorious past and a hopeful 
future ! Let us pray that from her cloisters there may 
come forth a second Luther, and from beneath her eagles 
a second Washington — that she may plant her free insti- 
tutions upon the Rock of Ages, and find her power in 
the Lord of hosts ! 



284 LETTERS FROM EUROPE. 



WESTMINSTER NORMAL INSTITUTION. 

IN 1841 the British conference devised a general system 
of Wesleyan education, sufficiently expansive to em- 
brace all educational interests under their supervision, 
yet sufficiently flexible to admit of adaptation to local 
exigences and peculiarities. 

A general Committee, consisting of fifteen or more 
clergymen and as many laymen, -was appointed, to direct 
and superintend the affairs of Wesleyan education, with 
instruction to report annually. 

The Committee laid down the following principles : 

1. All schools to be of a distinctively religious charac- 
ter; the Bible to be the basis of religious instruction; the 
Wesleyan Catechism, Wesleyan Hymn-Book, and prayer 
to constitute a part of the daily exercises ; the children 
to be conducted to public worship in some Wesleyan 
chapel every Sabbath day. 

At the special request of parents the Wesleyan Cate- 
chism and Wesleyan public worship may be omitted by 
children, provided a satisfactory equivalent is offered. 

2. In government the schools to be avowedly denom- 
inational, but not exclusive ; under the care of a local 
Committee, of which the circuit ministers are ex-officio 
members. 

3. As to support, the schools are to be sustained by 
the weekly payments of the children, supplemented, 
when necessary, by local subscriptions or collections. 



WESLEY AN EDUCATION. 285 

4. As to teachers, they are to be decidedly religious, 
recommended by the circuit minister, in connection with 
the Methodist society, and competent, in the judgment 
of the local Committee, to teach reading, writing, ge- 
ography, grammar, the elements of sacred and general 
history, and the essential doctrines of the Christian 
faith. 

5. As to school-houses, all are to be held in trust for 
the connection, in a manner similar to the chapels, the 
deeds providing that no doctrine contrary to Wesleyan 
Methodism shall be taught in them. 

6. As to statistics, each school secretary is to fill up a 
schedule, furnished him by the superintendent of the 
circuit, and transmit it to the general Committee. 

7. As to connectional aid and co-operation, at the May 
district meeting the schools are to be considered, the 
schedule examined, and inquiries instituted as to the 
attention given and required. 

In 1843 it was resolved to '^ encourage week-day schools 
to such an extent as that each circuit should have at 
least two schools on an average, one situated in the chief 
circuit town and the other in some suburban district or 
populous village." To accomplish this object the general 
Committee was charged to make grants of money, to 
maintain a systematic plan of correspondence and in- 
spection, and provide and train suitable masters and mis- 
tresses. That the necessary funds should be forthcoming, 
it was ordered that there should be a Wesleyan educa- 
tion general fund, and that for seven years one-half of 
the chapel fund should go for education. 

In 1844 four thousand, four hundred and thirty-nine 
pounds, thirteen shillings, and one penny was raised for ed- 
ucation by general collection ; sixteen thousand, seven hun- 
dred and forty-one pounds, five shillings, and nine pence 
by special subscriptions; and two thousand, five hundred 



286 LETTERS FROM EUROPE. 

and twenty-four pounds and ten shillings by moiety of 
"chapel fund." 

In 1851 the connection between the chapel and educa- 
tion funds was dissolved, and the latter was thenceforward 
to be sustained by annual public collections and private 
subscriptions. 

The effect of these measures was soon seen in the in- 
crease of schools and of scholars, in the improvement of 
school-houses and apparatus, and the elevation and su- 
perior qualifications of the school-teachers. 

In seven years, ending in 1851, the increase of schools 
was one hundred, of scholars twenty thousand; the 
amount expended on school-houses, fifty thousand pounds, 
of which six thousand pounds were granted by Govern- 
ment and five thousand by the general Committee; the 
remainder having been raised by the local committees. 

The Wesleyans, it will be seen, avail themselves of 
government grants for education, but on such conditions 
as do not interfere with the independence of the schools 
or the form or substance of the religious instruction 
which they impart. 

The general Committee, in prosecuting its important 
work, found it necessary to have a normal school or train- 
ing college, where candidates for the teacher's office 
should not only enlarge their knowledge, but also learn 
how to apply it to the moral and intellectual instruction 
of their pupils. 

With a foresight worthy of Wesley, the Committee 
selected for the site of this Institution the heart of 
Westminster, where they purchased an acre and three- 
quarters of ground, which affords them, in addition to a 
location for buildings, sufficient space for children's play- 
grounds. 

The buildings which they erected contain, 1. Five 
large schools and twelve class-rooms, affording accommo- 



WESLEYAN SCHOOLS. ^§7 

dation for two thousand, three hundred and thirty-three 
children, besides two master's dwellings and a gate- 
keeper's lodge. 2. In the students' department ample 
accommodation for the boarding, lodging, and instruc- 
tion of one hundred students, and, in addition, a resi- 
dence for the principal and rooms for library, documents, 
and meetings of Committee; besides all this, there are 
lecture-halls, kitchen, day-rooms, dining-halls, and stew- 
ard's apartments. 

The situation of the Institution, in a populous district 
of London, where there are thousands of poor children 
nearly as degraded as a heathen population, affords it an 
opportunity of rendering great immediate service, while 
it trains teachers for subsequent usefulness. In such 
locations should all normal schools be placed — teachers 
need practice as well as theory. They who can be taught 
to recover the jewel of humanity from the depths to 
which it is here sunk, and cleanse and polish it, will be 
fit for their office any where in the world. 

The cost of the College and site was nearly two hun- 
dred thousand dollars, exclusive of furnishing students' 
apartments and principal's house. Of this sum Govern- 
ment paid thirty-seven thousand, five hundred dollars. 

The annual expenses of the College department for 
the past year were about ten thousand dollars; for the 
practicing schools, five thousand dollars ; the annual 
outlay, probably exceeds the income some five or six thou- 
sand dollars, which is supplied from the general fund, 
The Principal is the Rev. John Scott, a man of modest 
maste* mind, of ample stores of knowledge, of meek and 
quiet spirit, and deep but unostentatious piety. All that 
I have seen, or heard, or read concerning him, leads me 
to suppose that one better adapted to his post could 
no where be found. 

The schools are, 1. Model school; 2. Infant practicing 



288 LETTERS FROM EUROPE. 

school ; 3. Junior practicing school ; 4. Senior practicing 
school; 5. Industrial school for females; 6. Training 
College. 

The Institution was opened partially in 1850 — fully in 
July, 1851. 

The infant school has about two hundred pupils, the 
junior school not, I think, so many; it is constantly 
transferring its children to the senior school as they be- 
come qualified. The female industrial school, in addition 
to ordinary instruction, gives lessons in domestic econ- 
omy and the every-day duties of life. The model school 
contains about a hundred pupils, and, as its name imports, 
is a working model for Wesleyan schools generally. In 
all these schools together there are about one thousand 
children. The number that entered the Training Col- 
lege at its opening was nine ; it increased to sixty-eight 
in about a year. The average number now is one hun- 
dred, including both sexes. 

The teachers who are under training, try their hands 
in the practicing schools under the supervision of com- 
petent masters, applying their philosophy, and exercising 
their skill in government, instruction, classification, and 
various other matters. 

In the examination of candidates for admission to the 
Training College, the following questions are asked: Is 
he of decidedly religious character? Though he be 
admirable for theological orthodoxy, personal morality, 
and general character and capabilities, he is rejected if 
wanting in the religious spirit. He must testify that he 
is converted, reconciled to God through Jesus Christ, 
and renewed by the Holy Grhost, and prove that his con- 
versation comports with the Gospel. The second ques- 
tion is as to the amount of knowledge which the candi- 
dates possess, and their capacity for further improve- 
ment: they are examined by a committee in elementary 



THE TRAINING COLLEGE. 289 

Wesleyan theology, History, Geography, Grrammar, Arith- 
metic, and the principles of music. The third question 
is as to their freedom from defect, deformity, disease, 
and debt. 

The age of the candidates rarely exceeds nineteen ; 
they are very properly encouraged to remain two years. 

In the disciplining and training of the teachers, relig- 
ion is prominent. By daily worship and song, by weekly 
prayer meetings, by special instruction and earnest ap- 
peal, they are urged to a constant growth in grace. 

The evidences, doctrines, precepts, and institutes of 
Christianity are regularly and sedulously taught, as well 
as the geography, chronology, and history of holy Scrip- 
ture. The students are expected to stand a full exam- 
ination on each book in the Bible as it is taken up in 
course, and to submit for inspection an original analysis 
or synopsis thereof. 

To prepare the student to impart secular knowledge, 
the training is in 

1. Reading, so as to understand and enunciate cor- 
rectly. Text-book : M'Culloch's Course of Reading. 

2. English Grammar, etymological and syntactical. 
Text-books : An ordinary school Grammar, and Latham's 
English Grammar. 

3. Writing — neatness and legibility are required. 

4. Arithmetic, embracing both principles and pro- 
cesses, and the best modes of explaining them to 
children. Text-books : Melrose's Arithmetic and De 
Morgan's. 

5. English History. Text-book : History of the Brit- 
ish Empire — Chambers's Course. 

6. Geography, Mathematical, Physical, and Political. 
Text-books : Reid's Rudiments ; Sullivan's Geography 
Generalized. 

7. School management, organization, and discipline — 

25 



290 LETTERS PROM EUROPE. 

embracing School Architecturej School Furniture, Appa- 
ratus, and general management. Text-books : StoVs 
Training System ; the Glascow Trainer's Record. 

8. Algebra. Text-book : Colenzo. 

9. Geometry and Mensuration. Text-books : Potts's 
Euclid ; Treatise on Mensuration, published by the Irish 
Board. 

10. Mechanics. Tate's Exercises. 

11. Elements of Physical Science. 

12. General History. Tytler. 

13. History and Etymology of English Language. 
Text-books : Chambers's English Literature. 

14. Latin. 

15. Drawing. 

16. Music. 

17. Sewing, for females. 

The year closes at Christmas with appropriate cere- 
monies, a part of which, I believe, consists in an address 
from the President of the conference. 

It opens about the 20th January, with an address by 
the Principal of the college. 

Bible-classes for the benefit of the schools are formed, 
and on Sabbath evening the children fill up the Wes- 
leyan chapel in the neighborhood. Westminster must 
be Wesleyanized by this Institution. It molds the chil- 
dren, and the children must influence the grateful 
parents. 

The sources of income to the Institution are, 1. The 
admission fees of the pupils ; 2. Weekly pence paid by 
the children in the practicing school; 3. Grants made 
by the Government for the support and tuition of such 
as have obtained Certificates of Merit at the Christmas 
Examination. This must be very limited. It is determ- 
ined that pupil teachers may be examined by the proper 
officer of Government for Queen's scholarships, and if 



ANNUAL EXAMINATION. 291 

they are successful, they are admitted to exhibitions en- 
abling them to enter the Institution at Westminster; but 
nothing is granted to the Institution for their instruction 
and maintenance the first year, even should they obtain 
Certificates of Merit; but such Certificates entitle them 
to a second year's residence, and if at the end of that 
time they obtain a Certificate of Merit, the Institution is 
allowed a sum to be determined by the character of the 
Certificate. 

The amount paid by each scholar for tuition and board 
in the Training College is about $75 per annum. Many 
are sustained by generous individuals. 

The annual examinations are twofold — one relating to 
secular education, the other to religious; the first being 
conducted by Her Majesty's Inspector, the second by the 
college authorities, both, however, by means of examina- 
tion papers, those in the first case being drawn by the 
Committee of Council — a Government Board — those in 
the last by the Wesleyan Committee. 

I have been thus particular, because the Westminster 
Normal College is the great center of Wesleyan educa- 
tional operations; and a worthy one it is, creditable to 
the past, auspicious for the future — its influence will be 
felt, not only in the British isles, but in India, China, 
the islands of the Pacific — indeed, throughout the Brit- 
ish empire, and to the end of time. With the English 
Wesleyans, indeed, with the religious English public 
generally, religious knowledge and training is deemed 
the principal element of common school education, sec- 
ular knowledge the subordinate one; their day-schools 
are but extensions of their Sabbath schools. 

The Wesleyans have long paid some attention to gen- 
eral education, but recently they have given to it greatly- 
increased attention. 

It is made the duty of the preachers to visit the 



292 LETTERS PROM EUROPE. 

scIlooIs, and catechise and instruct the children, to 
impress upon the young the inaportance of education, 
the advantages of regular training over self-culture, and 
its relation to individual happiness and public usefulness, 
and to plant and supervise new schools wherever there 
is an opportunity to do so. 

This educational revival, if I may so term it, has been 
forced upon them. The question, who shall have the 
future Churches? depends upon the question, who shall 
have the Sabbath schools? and that upon the further 
question, who shall have the week-day schools ? 

There is a "Wesleyan general Inspector appointed, I un- 
derstand, by the general Committee, and sustaining the 
same relation to the "Wesleyan day-schools as the Grovern- 
ment Inspector does to common schools in general, or as 
our Superintendent of Public Instruction does to the 
common schools of this state. He visits schools^ corre- 
sponds with school officers, gives counsel and advice con- 
cerning school architecture, furniture, and general man- 
agement, suggests alterations and improvements where 
they are required, and combines in a general view the 
state of the educational interests of the connection. 

A general common school system, to be adopted 
and controlled by the state, is scarcely feasible in Eng- 
land, so strong is the conviction of the religious public 
that it should be based upon religion, and so great 
are the difficulties in the way of agreement among the 
different denominations as to how that basis shall be 
laid. 

There are some striking peculiarities in British day- 
schools, arising from the demand of manufacturing dis- 
tricts for the labor of the young. This leads, for ex- 
ample, to increased attention to infant schools, and brings 
into the higher schools a set of children from the facto- 
ries, called "half-timers." 



DETAILS USEFUL. 293 

But I must close. These details, derived from obser- 
vations made upon the spot, and statements gleaned from 
reports which were kindly furnished me at the Training 
College at Westminster, may be deemed dry by some; 
but they will be found full of interest and suggestive 
of reflection to all considerate minds, who are engaged 
either in the ministerial or the teacher's calling. 



25* 



294 LETTERS FROM EUROPE- 



THE LAST — RETURN VOYAGE. 

TTAVINGr heard that the cholera was prevailing exten- 
-*--*- sively in America, that the University vs^as suspended 
in consequence of it, and that my own family had left 
their home in alarm, I deemed it proper to hasten home, 
postponing my tour through Germany and Italy to 
another time. 

My route backward is from Paris to Calais. This is 
by no means the most comfortable route to England, 
though it is perhaps the most expeditious. I go by rail- 
way, which passes through the well-known cities of 
Amiens, Arras, Douai, Lille, and St. Omer — the first 
noted for its cotton manufacture and cathedral, where, 
tliey say, lies the head of John the Baptist, which was 
brought from Constantinople during the crusades. 
Amiens is the birthplace of Peter the Hermit and . 
Ducange the scholar. 

Passing through Arras we were told of a street called 
the street without heads, from the fact that during the 
revolution all its inhabitants were guillotined. I could 
but think of you when we came to Douai, where for more 
than three hundred years Roman priests have been edu- 
cated for England and Ireland, and where once O'Connell 
studied. Lille, celebrated for siege^s, is the place of 
spinning-jennies and windmills — like Congress. At St. 
Omer is a celebrated seminary for the education of 
English and Irish people. It has attracted a large 



CALAIS. 295 

English population, though the institution seems at 
present to be in a declining condition. In early times 
she educated some gentlemen who engaged in a certain 
well-known ''gunpowder plot." Calais is a sort of "New 
Buifalo" — fruitful in desolation and picturesque in sand- 
banks; but its position on several great routes and its 
military value gives it some importance. It is a sort 
of refuge for English debtors. 

At midnight we go along a pier jutting out about a 
mile, then down a long flight of steps, nest jump into 
the arms of some sailors as they stand in a long-boat, 
finally row out into the sea, where rides at anchor a 
trifling little steamboat ready to sail for Dover. Here 
are narrow quarters again; self-important ofl&cers skilled 
in extortion, dirty sailors, and seasick, discontented pas- 
sengers. But we can bear rheumatism, prosy letters, 
tooth-pulling, dull sermons — any thing, if it is but 
short — and so happily is our voyage. I paced the deck 
by moonlight till the day dawned upon Dover cliff's. See 
the castle on that abrupt eminence on the east, three 
hundred and twenty feet above the sea; then on the 
west is the "Shakspeare Cliff." We stop only for break- 
fast, after which we have about half an hour to look 
around. We, of course, see but little, though I learn 
that the city contains twenty-three thousand inhabitants, 
is a popular watering-place, and possesses considerable 
political importance. 

Onward we go, through tunnels and over artificial em- 
bankments, across the rivers Stowe, Beult, and Teise, by 
numerous stations and towns, to London again. Hence, 
after a short stay, I set out for Liverpool, arriving a day 
before the sailing of the Arabia, in which I had taken 
passage. 

And now having made all arrangements to leave, we 
enter a small steamboat with our baggage about nine 



296 LETTERS FROM EUROPE. 

o'clock, and are soon transferred to the steamship. Et» 
ery berth is taken, and many persons are in distress 
because they can not obtain a passage. The case of one 
lady especially moved my sympathy ; she was represented 
to be near the grave, and separated from her husband 
and near kindred by the broad Atlantic. Had I known 
her case in time I should have offered my place to her. 

About twelve o'clock the mail-bags come on board, 
and we gracefully leave port amid the customary salutes. 
The day is delightful, and crew and passengers seem to 
anticipate a most agreeable voyage. Some one intimating 
to the captain that a good beginning sometimes leads to 
a bad end, and that September is often attended with a 
storm, he replied, "We shall escape, for we need not 
look for the storm before the 20th." How little do 
the most scientific and experienced sailors know of the 
weather ! Some of us are a little provoked to learn that 
we are to take the northern passage, although it is shorter. 
Next day the storm commences, and continues with little 
or no abatement till the last day out. It blows from 
north-west to south-west. Most of our passengers are 
sick; many of them rarely appear at the table. Not- 
withstanding our plates, cups and saucers, etc., are fixed 
in a frame-work, the contents are at times emptied into 
our laps. At one time a wave breaks through the win- 
dow of the dining-saloon while we are at dinner, and the 
salt water mingles with our dishes. 

The English steamers are not as comfortable as the 
American. (I suppose the Arabia and the Baltic fitly 
represent the respective lines.) In the latter your berths 
are provided with a bell-rope by which you can summon 
the steward; in the former you must call the steward 
viva voce, and if your lungs are not in good condition 
your chance of making yourself heard is rather poor; 
in the Collins steamers your state-rooms are provided 



COLLINS AND CUNARD BOATS. 297 

with a tube through which waste water can be poured; 
in the Cunard the water must all be conveyed by hand; 
in the former you can pass to the forward cabin through 
the main saloon, and without going on deck ; not so in 
the latter — you can not get from the dining saloon to 
your berth if you are so unfortunate as to be put into the 
forward cabin, which is generally the fate of those who 
travel without ladies, without an unpleasant, not to say 
dangerous, passage on deck ; you have no light to guide 
you, and go stumbling along over shoe-top in water, liable 
to have a wave go over you before you reach the stairway. 
One evening I was completely drenched by a wave coming 
over the bow upon me as I was going to bed. 

The Collins boats are much higher than the Cunard; 
the consequence is, that they are drier. The decks of 
the British steamers are always wet — the water coming 
in by the bow faster than it goes out by the scuppers. 
They are both strong. The British are Clyde built. 
Both are well manned. I could see but little diflFerence 
in the officers. Captain Comstock, of the Baltic, and 
Captain Judkins, of the Arabia, appeared to be men of 
about equal caliber and equal skill, and, I doubt not, 
either of them would act well in an emergency. The 
inferior officers of the two vessels seemed to be upon a 
level, except the first officer of the Baltic, who appeared 
to me to be superior to any of the others. 

A voyage is about the same at all seasons, and in all 
steamers. You have the same fears and hopes, amuse- 
ments and annoyances: promenading, shuffle-board, bet- 
ting, by day; gambling, drinking, singing, and some- 
times praying, by night; and then the usual sacrifices 
of sausages and brandy, puddings and pastry to one 
god, and the reverse of all this to another. As we draw 
near the end of the voyage, the laying of wagers in- 
creases — the day at which we shall arrive, the hour when 



298 LETTERS PROM EUROPE. 

we stall take on board tlie pilot, the number of the 
pilot-boat, and the hour of landing, are so many unfore- 
seen items occasioning a general betting. The usual way 
is to make up the purse by equal contributions, make the 
figures upon slips of paper, and draw them from a hat. 
Although I had an opportunity to take stock, I respect- 
fully declined, inquiring whether any one was sure that 
we should arrive at all. But here we are safe! The 
hour of landing is a most joyous one. Friends of the 
passengers have collected at the Jersey City wharf, and 
as their expected relatives show themselves hats and 
handkerchiefs go up, emotions of joy find utterance on 
the deck, and meet responses on the shore. No wonder! 
mothers and fathers, wives and husbands, children and 
parents, who have been separated by an ocean, are once 
more to rush to each other's arms; there is now an end 
of many painful anxieties, evil apprehensions, and dis- 
turbing dreams ; our loved ones are not to be devoured 
by the sharks; they shall come home and receive all that 
we have laid by in store for them in their absence. 
"Praise God from whom all blessings flow!" My wel- 
come, however, must be delayed. 

Never was I more proud of America or more grateful 
to God than when I stepped again upon the shore of 
New York. Upon my arrival at home I could not rest 
satisfied till I had offered solemn thanks in the temple, 
in the presence of all the people, for my safe return. 

A few days and the news of the loss of the Arctic 
reached me. I could picture most vividly the events 
which transpired — some fainting in the cabin; some 
stupefied with fear; some rushing over the davits into 
the sea; men kneeling in solemn prayer, in the midst of 
the confusion; women wringing their hands in agonies, 
and children clinging to their knees; one friend tipped 
over the end of a boat; another leaping upon a paddle- 



LOSS OP THE ARCTIC. 299 

box; and then that raft, floating along by day and night 
through the thick fog, without provision or water, one 
after another falling off, as exhausted nature gave way, 
the ghastly corpses entangled in the timber, floating 
along, with their faces upturned, as if to stare at the 
survivors; and that good man — Mr. Woodruff — who was 
so kind to me, now doubly kind to his companions in 
distress, praying, knee-deep in water, and exhorting to 
trust in God, and, as his voice grew feeble, the cry coming 
up, "0, Mr. Woodruff, speak a little louder; we want to 
catch that sound; pray for us." Alas! that sound is no 
more; the supplicant is relieved by death. When I 
consider how I escaped that vessel, I know not how to 
be thankful enough. 

And now I must close my letters. It would be easy to 
extend them; but I have trespassed long enough upon 
your patience. I have written at the request of the 
editor of the Western Christian Advocate, and the sug- 
gestion of many friends. My correspondence has saved 
me much private letter writing; and if it has amused 
or instructed any sensible persons, I shall have no reason 
to regret it. I have written with no idea of writing a 
book. 

A few practical questions asked and answered, and I 
have done. "What did your trip cost you?" I sup- 
posed not much over six hundred dollars, till I came to 
count up the bills, when I found myself minus one thou- 
sand dollars. "Is any thing gained by importing books?" 
I think so. Libraries pay no duty. The freight from 
London to New York — including drayage, etc., at both 
cities — in a sail-vessel, is less than the freight by railroad 
from New York to central Ohio. And now, reader, fare- 
well. 

THE END. 



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